Stay With Me
by little rosebud
Summary: Flynn had never feared for Yuri's life more than in this moment. Seeing him lying there, weak and in so much pain, was leaving a really bad taste in his mouth. Dedicated to PeachteaKT. Pairing: Flynn/Yuri.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N : **Hello everyone! Wow, I'm feeling productive lately! But this time, it is thanks to my dear PeachteaKT, one of my most faithful reviewers! She is the one who requested this story from me. So I'm dedicating this story to her. I hope you will like it and thank you again for all of your support! :)

Now on with the usual warnings. This story contains some violence, blood, some male/male romance and heavy themes. Like always, if you don't like it, then I suggest you don't read this story.

Pairing : Flynn/Yuri

I own nothing of this story. Everything is the property of Namco.

So here goes with the first chapter!

Note: This is the edited version by **PeachteaKT. **Thank you so much for taking the time to edit and proofread this fic! You're the best :D

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><p><strong>Stay With Me<strong>

**Chapter 1**

"Rita, hurry up!" Yuri yelled at the young mage as he lifted his weapon to block the deadly stinger of the Gigalarva. Judith slashed at the side of the creature, seemingly enjoying herself. "He's right, you know! I _do _enjoy fighting, but this is the third one, and they're pretty tough!" the Krytian said in a light tone. Rita spun around and threw them an annoyed look. "I know, I know! Shut up already! We're going as fast as we can! Just give us a little more time!" the young mage snapped back at them before returning to her investigation of the Aer Krene. Yuri sighed as he slashed at one of the creature's legs.

Rita and some other mages from Halure came to Dahngrest to ask Brave Vesperia for their help. As much as Rita hated to admit it, she had trouble getting by on her own now that she didn't have her Bodhi Blastia anymore. They decided to give up every last Blastia a few months ago to save the world from the Adephagos. And that was exactly why she was spending all of her time in researching a new source of power: Mana. She was still in the experimental stages, and she needed to go to the places where the Mana would be the most dense; the ancient Aer Krenes. She visited some of them alone, but some places were too dangerous for her to do so. That is why the mage had come to Dahngrest to search for Karol. As much as she didn't want to admit it, the little shrimp _was_ the leader of Brave Vesperia, after all.

But Karol was not there. He was already on a mission for the guild. Instead, she found Judith. The young genius reluctantly told her that she needed help as she and some other mages would have to get to the deepest part of Keiv Moc. She could not possibly hope to get rid of the monsters at the same time she was conducting her experiments. Judith, who was always up for some fighting, happily agreed. Knowing she wouldn't be enough to take care of every monster by herself, she had suggested that they pick Yuri up. She suspected that since their trip ended, the swordsman had been pretty bored. When they flew on Ba'ul to Zaphias and went to his room in the Lower Quarter to pick him up, Judith saw that her guess had been right.

Yuri had _been _bored lately. He had taken it upon himself to help the people of the Lower Quarter get by without the Blastia, but he admitted he missed traveling dearly. He had not fought a single monster for _weeks_ now and he was beginning to get restless. So when Judith and Rita showed up in his room to ask him to go to Keiv Moc with them, he eagerly agreed. He could not wait to fight.

Everything went well until the group reached the Aer Krene. That was when they had been attacked by a Gigalarva, one of those gigantic scorpion creatures. When Yuri and Judith defeated it and another one appeared, it was clear to Yuri that they had stumbled upon the nest of these creatures. It was the same when they came to Keiv Moc the first time, back when Duke saved them from a horrible death. And now, as Judith and Yuri were taking care of the third one in a row, Yuri wondered why he accepted the mission.

The swordsman skillfully avoided being run through by the Gigalarva's dangerous tail. He countered swiftly, severing one of the creature's front legs. The creature lost its balance and fell forward. "Now, Judy!" Yuri yelled to his companion. The Krytian did not waste any time. She gracefully jumped on top of the Gigalarva's head and ran her spear through it, felling it. Yuri panted with the exertion. He turned around to see Rita and the other mages frantically scrambling with their research. His ears picked up the sound of another one of those monsters coming in their direction. "Rita!" he yelled urgently. They were out of time. Yuri was exhausted. He did not know if he would be able to take on another one of those creatures.

"All right! We got all the data we need!" the mage exclaimed joyfully. Judith jumped off the dead Gigalarva. "Then let's get out of here!" she probed them. Rita and the mages quickly gathered their things. They ran away from the Aer Krene, climbing back up into the tall trees. They only stopped to gather their breath after they put a great distance between the creatures' nest and themselves. Judith smirked wickedly. "Well, that was fun. We should do that more often," she said and ignored the incredulous looks the others gave her. Yuri snorted at her. "Ha! I forgot about your crazy blood thirst." The Krytian smiled mischievously at him. "Says the one who enjoys getting beaten to a pulp by enemies."

Yuri pouted playfully at that. "I never said that! I'm just – Ow!" he exclaimed as he felt something sting him in the neck. He immediately slapped whatever it was away. It fell at Yuri's feet and he looked at it. It was a small bug. The swordsman had never seen anything like it. He stared at the offending bug. Judith frowned at him."Yuri? Are you okay?" she asked with concern. It snapped the young man's attention on her. "Yeah. Let's get out of here already!" he said to the rest of the group. They agreed and they resumed their walk out of the forest.

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><p>When they finally managed to get out of Keiv Moc, they all agreed to stay the night at Dahngrest since night was almost upon them. However, when Yuri tried to get some rest, he found that he could not stop tossing and turning in his bed at the Inn. He felt hot all over, and the place where that bug had stung him was throbbing painfully. He guessed it must have had some venom in its stinger, but he did not pay it anymore attention. He figured that it would go away eventually. He tried to fall asleep again, but because of the discomfort, Yuri guessed that he would not get any sleep that night.<p>

And he was right. When morning came, Yuri had not managed to sleep at all. His wound still hurt and he was feeling quite off, but he put it on the lack of sleep. When Judith came to greet him, Yuri acted as if he was feeling perfectly fine. He did not want to worry her with something like that. The Krytian told him she was going to take Rita and the other researchers back to Halure and asked Yuri if he wanted her to drop him somewhere. Yuri told her he wanted to go back to Zaphias. He was tired and he just wanted to go back to his room to sleep.

When they were all ready to go, they got on the ship and Ba'ul departed to Halure. During the trip, Yuri stood on the deck, leaning against the guardrail. The wind was freezing cold as they were nearing winter, but the swordsman was thankful for the cool breeze. It was soothing against his burning skin. He was sure it was due to the sting of that bug. Yuri grumbled. He rarely fell ill and he hated it when it happened. He hated being stuck in bed for days with nothing to do. He suddenly felt a presence near him. Yuri turned his head sideway to see Judith standing next to him. She smiled sweetly at him. "Aren't you cold? It's freezing out here," she said. Yuri could understand why she thought it was cold, considering the way she was dressed in such weather. He smiled back, but his smile did not reach his eyes. "It's okay. I can handle it," he answered evasively. He felt Judith's eyes on him, staring intently at his face. He frowned at that. "What? Is there something on my face?" he asked a little more abruptly than he intended. Judith did not seem to mind. "You don't seem well, Yuri. Are you feeling sick?" she asked rather bluntly.

Yuri shook his head, discouraged that he could hide nothing from Judy. "Nah, that's not it. I just didn't sleep very well last night. Don't worry about it," he lied to her face, not wanting to worry his friend more than necessary. He saw in her eyes that she did not believe him, but she did not question him any further. That woman was too clever. She knew whenever someone was lying to her. She put a small hand on his shoulder. "All right, if you say so. Just... don't push yourself too hard, okay?" she said before turning away and making her way back to the cabin, not waiting for an answer from the swordsman. Yuri stayed there, content with looking at the horizon. He looked forward to a familiar bed and a good night of sleep.

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><p>The trip back to Zaphias went smoothly. Yuri said goodbye to Rita when they dropped her off at Halure. The young mage reluctantly thanked them and even gave them their payment distractedly. Knowing her, she was surely already absorbed in her newfound research. That was always a funny sight to see. Not more than half an hour after, Yuri was back at Zaphias' Lower Quarter. He said a quick goodbye to Judy, knowing he would probably see the woman fairly soon as she came rather frequently to visit or to ask for favours like this one.<p>

As soon as he was alone, Yuri went back to his room and once inside, he collapsed on his bed. He closed his eyes, trying to fall into a much needed sleep. It was an understatement to say the swordsman was frustrated when sleep evaded him again. He blamed it on the sun's rays filtering through his window. No matter how much he tried to block them, he still could not sleep. So much for trying to get some rest. Frustrated, Yuri left his room and began to walk around in the streets of the Lower Quarter. He was pretty bored as he did not have anything to do. Well, he could go around and help the residents like he usually did, but Yuri was not really in the mood right now. So what could he do?

Just as he was pondering about that, he saw some knights pass by him in the street. It immediately made him think about Flynn: the current commandant of the imperial knights and his childhood friend. He had not bothered the stuck up knight in quite a few days now. Well, that was always an option...

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><p>Flynn was filling paperwork in his office, sitting at his desk, when he suddenly heard scratching noises coming from the window behind him. He sighed exasperatedly as he knew the exact cause of the noises. When he turned around, he saw he had been right. Yuri, his childhood friend, was currently stepping over the window's threshold. The latter was smirking at him as he jumped into the room. "Hey there, Commandant," he said on a playfully sarcastic tone. If he had been in the right state of mind, the blond would have heard the strange intonation in his friend's normally smooth voice, but he was stressed and lacked the patience to deal with Yuri's antics. "You know, you <em>can<em> come in through the door. I've got no time to play with you right now, Yuri. I'm busy with work," he said curtly. Before he was able to turn around to return to his papers, he saw a slight glint of hurt pass in those gray eyes. Whether or not it was faked, he did not know. But as soon as it appeared, it was gone.

Yuri feigned a hurt look. "Oooh, I'm hurt. Someone's in a foul mood today. But I know just what you need," he said. Before Flynn could ask what his twisted mind came up with, the black haired swordsman went to stand behind his friend, and his hands went to his shoulders. He began to rub and knead at his flesh, soothing his tense muscles. Flynn let out a gasp of surprise. "Wha-what are you doing? Stop that!" he said, trying to pry his hands away from him. But a particular knead had him stop his struggling. God, Yuri was good with that. He could feel all the tension in his body drain away at those skilled hands. Yuri smirked. "You're stressed, Flynn. Take a break sometimes. It's good for you, you know," he said as he let his hands release all the tension in Flynn's shoulders and back. The latter groaned as Yuri hit a painful spot. "I can't, Yuri. Unlike you, I've got responsibilities. Even if I wanted to take a few days off, I can't because of the current problems," he said. Flynn felt those wonderful hands stop their work. He turned his head to the side to see Yuri frowning at him.

"What do you mean?" he inquired. Of course Yuri did not know. This was a matter that the knights were trying to keep a secret as to not scare the citizens. But this was Yuri, who despite their constant bickering was still his best friend. He could tell him, at least. Flynn's expression darkened and he turned his head away. "Terrorists. There have been many attacks against knights as they were travelling lately. And there was even an attempt to take over Heliord's headquarters about a week ago. We managed to keep the casualties to a minimum, but still... they're pretty insistent. We don't know what they'll try next." Yuri resumed his massage, but his face assumed a worried expression. "Terrorists? Why are they doing this?" Flynn closed his eyes in unrest. "They've made their intentions clear. They're displeased with the loss of Blastia and they think it is partly the empire's fault. They want compensation," he said in a serious tone.

Yuri stopped what he was doing and circled Flynn to lean against his desk. He looked at his friend with a small smile. "Don't let it get to you too much. There'll always be people who don't like how things are. You don't have to deal with it all on your own. Giving up the Blastia is a decision that everyone made together. You should tell the Union and Palestralle about these attacks. They'd help you. After all, the guilds and the Empire _do_have a friendship treaty." Flynn's eyes widened in surprise. That was really good advice coming from Yuri. Not that he was not wise, but his friend was rarely serious.

Flynn kept silent, taking that moment to look more closely at his friend. That was when he noticed something seemed off about Yuri. He looked tired and his breath was coming in short puffs, almost as if he had trouble breathing normally. He was about to ask him if he was feeling well when he heard a knock at his door. It opened to reveal Sodia, carrying papers in her hands. "Commandant, I brought you some documents to –, " she stopped talking when she saw Yuri leaning against the desk, looking at her with a blank expression. Her eyes darkened and guilt showed briefly in them. Yuri sighed. That was his cue to get out. He pushed himself away from the desk. "Well, later Flynn." He said and he began to make his way to the window to leave, but a hand closed around his wrist and stopped him. He turned around and shot an enquiring look at his friend.

Flynn was frowning at him. "Yuri, you should go see Princess Estellise. She told me she wanted to see you next time you came," he told him and saw Yuri pout childishly. "Okay, I get it. I'll see her, so let me go," he said, trying to yank his arm free. He knew Flynn could feel the heat radiating from his skin. Flynn did not let go of his wrist. "Use the door since you're going to see her," he advised. Yuri pouted in return. "Fine, fine. I'll use the god damn door," he grumbled. Flynn finally let him go. His eyes followed his friend until he left the room. He felt worried as there was definitely something wrong with his friend, but he knew that even if he asked, he would learn nothing. Yuri was the kind of person that always hid everything to not worry the others. He did not realize he worried them more acting that way.

The sound of a throat clearing pulled Flynn out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Sodia standing in front of his desk, looking strangely at him. Flynn smiled at her. "Sorry, Sodia. Just put them here," he said, motioning to the only empty corner of his desk. She did as told, and he thanked her, waiting for her to leave the room before letting out a long sigh.

How he hated paperwork.

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><p>Yuri found Estelle sitting in the garden, deeply entranced in a book. He made his way to her, and seeing she still had not felt his presence, he yanked the book from her hands. Surprised, she raised her head to see what had happened. And when she recognized Yuri's face, a bright smile appeared on her face. She got up and pulled Yuri into a tight hug. "Yuri!" the pink haired girl exclaimed, happiness emanating from her voice. Yuri tried to pry her away. "Nice to see you too, Estelle. You can let me go, now," he said breathlessly. That is why he was reluctant to go and meet with Estelle. She was always like that, crushing him in a bear hug that cut off his air supply. When she finally let go of him, Yuri went to sit on the bench, and the princess returned to her seat. Yuri looked at her. "So, what's up? Flynn told me you wanted to see me?" he asked, wondering what it could be about.<p>

Estelle hesitated, playing with the fabric of her dress. When she did talk, Yuri was left speechless by her words. "Do you... do you know what kind of girl Flynn likes?" The swordsman looked at the pink haired girl with an unbelieving expression. Did Estelle really ask him that? Did that mean... "Estelle, do you like Flynn?" he blurted out without thinking further. He had suspected as much at the beginning of their journey, but he had dismissed the thought as time passed. She reacted to his words violently. The princess's cheeks glowed bright red. She made panicked movements with her hands. "N-no! It's nothing like that!" she protested so strongly that Yuri believed her. He felt himself getting impatient as she did not seem to want to explain herself.

"So then, why the odd question?" he pressed her, and was glad when she seemed inclined to talk more this time. "Well, I've been thinking about it a lot lately. Flynn is always so lonely, shutting himself in his study and doing nothing but work. I know it's expected from the commandant, but it's not healthy! I think he should go out and meet a nice girl. And since you're Flynn's best friend, I thought that maybe you would know what kind of girl he likes." The softly spoken words had an unexpected effect on the swordsman. He did not like them. Without knowing the reason why, the sole idea of Flynn being with a girl displeased Yuri. For all the years they had known each other, his best friend had never dated anyone. Neither had Yuri. Just having the other's company had been enough. And Yuri did not want that to change. He knew he was being selfish. Flynn deserved happiness with someone he loved, whomever it may be. But the idea of someone else being more important than him in the commandant's eyes made his chest burn with jealousy. He did not know why and it was so frustrating. Maybe it was because Yuri knew _he_ did not need someone else to enter his life. Yuri was happy as he was, with his friends and with Flynn. He knew the commandant would always be his most precious person. Yuri began to question what exactly Flynn was to him.

"Yuri?" Estelle's soft-spoken voice snapped him from his thoughts. He looked at her and tried to hide his annoyance. "How should I know what kind of girl he likes?" he only noticed he had talked harshly when he saw Estelle's hurt expression. His expression softened. "Look, we've never talked about that. I guess you'll just have to ask him directly if you really want to know," he answered. Suddenly he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. He really was not feeling well, but he tried not to show it. He was lucky that unlike Judith, the princess was clueless about these things. The princess seemed to regain her peppiness and her fingers began to twitch with nervousness again. "Alright, I think I'll do that. Uhum, Yuri... What about you? Is there someone you like?" she asked in a barely-audible whisper, not looking him in the eye.

Oh crap. Yuri cursed himself for his bad luck. Yuri understood exactly where this conversation was heading. Out of all people, the princess had to develop a crush on him: a cold blooded murderer and a member of a guild. He was no good for the princess. She was too sweet and naive. His darkness would devour her whole, and he would burn her wings down. Now he would have to break her heart. It would have been better if she had not found the courage to tell him. It would have saved him a big headache. Yuri turned his face to the side and feigned a bored expression. "I don't really like anyone. Why do you ask? You're weird today, Estelle," he said, looking at her as she lowered her head. The princess's cheeks gained a shade of red. "I... Yuri, I..." she began, but she seemed unable to continue.

Yuri looked at her pityingly, and he circled her shoulders with an arm, pulling her gently against him. He heard her intake of breath at this unusual action coming from him. "Estelle, I'm sorry," he said on a gentle tone. Seeing as she was too shocked to answer anything, he kept on talking. "I can't return your feelings. I'm really sorry." This time he felt Estelle begin to shake against him as she was trying to stop herself from crying. "You'll always be important to me. You're like the little sister I never had. I care a lot about you, but... just not the same way," he whispered, letting out his true thoughts, something he rarely did. But he felt the princess deserved it. She was ready to pour her heart out to him, so it was the least he could do.

Yuri felt his sleeve becoming wet with the tears Estelle couldn't stop anymore. He felt really bad because he was the cause of those tears. He pushed her gently away from him and looked at her tear streaked face. He wiped one tear away. "Estelle, don't cry. You'll find someone who'll be able to make you happy, but that person can't be me. I won't be able to make you happy, Estelle." Estelle managed to stop crying after a long while and she smiled weakly at him. "I'm alright now. Thank you for being honest with me. I didn't want to put such a burden on you," she whispered sadly. Yuri smiled back sadly, finding the sight of Estelle trying to fight back her tears depressing. So Yuri did the only thing he could to try and lighten the mood. He diverted the conversation, telling Estelle about Rita's and Judith's statuses. When he left the princess some time later, he was glad to see she seemed to be better. But that did not quell the feeling of guilt that had settled in his gut.

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><p>On his way to the castle's entrance, Yuri was so lost in his thoughts that he did not notice the person walking towards him until he had bumped in them. Hands flew to his arms to help him keep his balance. Yuri lifted his face to see Flynn staring at him with concern. "Oh, hey Flynn. Sorry about that," he said lightly, trying to hide his unease. But the commandant was not fooled. He noticed Yuri was not feeling well. "Yuri, are you okay? You don't seem well," he asked worriedly. The dark haired man smiled at his friend, hoping it would be enough to get Flynn off of his back. "It's nothing. I'm just tired, that's all," he replied, but he did not expect the hand that covered his burning forehead. The cold touch disappeared quickly and he heard Flynn gasp. "You're burning up! You should be resting right now! What were you thinking, coming here when you're sick?" the commandant scolded him, but it was clear in his voice that he was deeply worried for him. Yuri snorted and pushed Flynn's hands away from him. "I told you, it's nothing. I just caught a cold." He retorted on an irritated tone.<p>

He did not want to deal with this, and seeing Flynn was making him recall his conversation with Estelle that he just wanted to forget. Especially the last words she had said to him before they had parted. _"__Yuri, __I __wish __you __good __luck __with __the __person __you __like! __I__'__m __rooting __for __you!__"_ Normally, the swordsman would have quickly brushed those words aside. But somehow, when Estelle had said those words, the image of Flynn formed in his mind. He didn't understand why. Flynn was his best friend, nothing more. So why? No matter what the reason was, he did not want to ponder on it now.

Yuri made a move to get away from Flynn, but something strange caught his attention. It was a smell. Flynn turned around and stared at Yuri's unmoving form. "Yuri?" he questioned. The latter frowned as he recognized the scent. "Don't you smell it? It smells like..." he began hesitantly. Flynn also caught the smell and he recognized it too. Sulfur. And a second after, his ears picked up a low, ringing sound. The commandant immediately understood the danger.

"Watch out!" he yelled to Yuri and he threw himself at his friend, shielding Yuri with his body right as the walls of the entrance gate exploded from the impact of the bomb. The force of the explosion blew the two friends into the opposing wall. Yuri's head violently hit the hard surface. Pain exploded in his skull and he cried out in pain. The world went dark.

When he regained his senses, he groggily took in his surroundings. Muffled screams from the destroyed gate barely reached his ears, still ringing with the strength of the explosion. As his senses slowly became sharper, Yuri became aware of a warm weight on top of him. It was the reason why Yuri was not hurt. It had protected him from the blow. He let his gaze fall on Flynn, who was lying on top of him, unconscious.

Yuri's hands went to his friend's shoulders and shook him frantically. "Flynn... Flynn! Wake up!" he yelled worriedly. Flynn stirred softly and moaned in pain. Yuri put his hands on his back and tried to help him straighten up, but Flynn was too weak to do it alone. Yuri froze when he felt warm moisture on his hands. Blood. "Flynn!" Yuri panicked more. Flynn groaned and opened his eyes. He managed to pull himself into a sitting position. "Are you okay, Yuri?" he asked with concern, his breath coming out in shallow puffs at the pain that coursed through his body. He was bleeding from a cut on his forehead and his back stung horribly. Many fragments from the destroyed wall had stuck into his skin. At least Yuri seemed to be okay.

"Idiot! You should worry about yourself!" Yuri exclaimed, unable to hide the worry in his voice. Suddenly they heard new voices coming from the gate. Flynn turned his attention to the situation at hand. The commandant pulled himself to his feet and he winced at the pain racing through his back. He ignored it and extended a hand to Yuri. The latter took it and got to his feet with the help of his friend. "It must be the work of the terrorists. They got us good this time. They're coming. We have to fight them off. We can't let them get to master Ioder." The blond said, unsheathing his sword.

Yuri smirked, but his smile had no humour. He tossed his scabbard aside and crouched into his fighting stance next to his friend. "You sure you can take them on in your state?" he said, his eyes never leaving the destroyed gate, where there were no less than twenty terrorists. Flynn mirrored his smile. "There's no way they'll get the best of me. I've dealt with much worse. But Yuri... Don't kill them, okay?" he asked in a grave tone. Yuri snorted as their enemies approached them, stopping at a few feet away from the duo. "Well, that depends on what they do. But I can try not to, if you really want," he answered, even though in his eyes, the terrorists did not deserve to live. These terrorists did not care about the lives of people they hurt or killed, so why should they care about the terrorists' lives?

One of their enemies, a tall and burly man with a scarred face and a huge sword, sauntered towards them. "Well well, what do we have here? The commandant himself! Thanks for saving us the trouble of looking for you. I'm going to shred you to pieces and rip your limbs off! Then I'll do the same to the little prince." Flynn also took a few steps forward. "Why are you doing this? It won't bring the Blastia back! All you're doing is spewing discontentment and bitterness! You are killing innocent people who had nothing to do with your vengeance!" he exclaimed. The terrorists just laughed mockingly. Enraged, Flynn opened his mouth, but a hand gripped his arm firmly. Yuri stepped to his side. "Drop it, Flynn. It's no use. These guys have rocks for brains. They won't listen to you no matter how much you preach." Yuri said with a dark expression. Flynn cursed under his breath. He had hoped he could buy them some time. He was no fool. He knew that despite how strong he and Yuri were, there was no way the two of them could win against twenty. On top of that, Yuri was not feeling well and he himself was hurt. Damn it! Where were his men when he needed them?

The leader pulled his sword from the ground and pointed it towards Flynn. "You should say your prayers, commandant. You're going to die here!" he roared and charged towards him. Flynn grunted as he parried the leader's sword with his own, feeling his back stinging. Flynn heard voices shouting his name from behind. Finally! Sodia and about ten of his men rushed to them. "Commandant! Are you okay?" Sodia asked him with concern. Flynn broke the parry and slashed at the terrorist. "I'm fine! Attack those men!" he yelled at his men. The terrorist leader also yelled to his men to attack and they obeyed, running towards the knights. Swords clashed as they engaged combat. The battle was chaotic. Flynn found himself getting separated from Yuri as he was pushed backwards by multiple attackers. He blocked an attack with his shield and knocked the attacker out cold with the hilt of his blade. Another one attacked him and he blocked him just as easily. He threw a quick glance in Yuri's direction.

The dark haired man was taking care of two enemies at once, dancing around them, and trying to find their weak spots. He avoided the strike of one of the terrorists and retaliated by ducking down and slashing at his legs, only deep enough to severe the tendons. His assailant screamed in pain and fell to the ground, unable to stand anymore. Yuri straightened himself up and blocked the other man's sword with his own. He disarmed the attacker and grabbed the back of the man's head. He smashed his skull against the wall with enough strength to make him pass out. Yuri turned around to look at Flynn and that's when he saw the leader advancing towards the commandant. But the blond was already dealing with another terrorist, so he could not see him. Yuri was about to rush towards him when another wave of dizziness washed over him. Damn it! Why now? There was no time to lose! He had to get to Flynn. He pulled himself together and ran towards his friend.

Flynn had just taken care of his third enemy when he heard a familiar voice shout over the chaos. "Flynn! Behind you!" The commandant spun on his feet and saw the leader bringing down his sword on him. However, he did not have time to block the deadly blow. Just when he thought it was over, Yuri pushed him roughly out of the way. Flynn watched as his friend brought his sword up to block the blow. He saw him grit his teeth against the pressure of the blade. Yuri was not strong enough to block it. Yuri's sword flew out of his hands and the terrorist's blade grazed his arm. "Out of my way!" the terrorist roared and his fist flew towards Yuri's face. It collided with Yuri's jaw and sent him flying to the ground a few feet away.

The sight sent Flynn in a dark rage. The adrenaline rush dulled the pain in his back. He charged towards the man who had lifted a hand against his friend. His sword clashed loudly against his assailant's. His fury gave him more strength and he pushed the man back even though the man was taller and bigger. But the terrorist was skilled too. He blocked every one of the commandant's strikes. Flynn could feel his stamina running out with every slash at his enemy. He had to put an end to this fight soon. The man's next attack was a little bit slower than the ones before. Flynn jumped on the opportunity to retaliate.

Flynn deflected the blow with his shield and dashed forwards. He ran his sword through the man's chest, making sure to not hit any vitals. Such a wound would have been enough to send any normal man to his knees. But Flynn's enemy was tougher than Flynn had thought. The wounded man jumped backwards, tearing Flynn's sword away from his hand. Shocked, Flynn froze as the man lifted his weapon up, not seeming to care about the sword stabbed into his chest.

But the terrorist never did manage it. A sword pierced the man's stomach from behind. The terrorist made a choked noise and pitched forwards. Yuri was standing behind him, his sword stained with blood. Yuri bent down and pulled Flynn's sword out of the corpse. Straightening up, he threw the sword at Flynn who caught it by the guard. "Yuri... thanks." Flynn said, out of breath. Yuri nodded. "No problem. You can't go easy on men like him. Guys like him just don't know when to quit," he said, trying to regain his breath. He had trouble breathing and he was not quite sure it was only because of the fighting.

Flynn agreed and noticed some of his men were still engaging the last of the terrorists. He began to walk towards them to help them. Yuri saw where he was going, but he did not make any move to follow him. It was not his place to do so. This was a knight's matter. He turned around and began to walk towards the destroyed gate. But he had only taken a few steps forward when the dizziness came back to hit him full force. The world around Yuri spun sickeningly and the wound of his neck burned fiercely. His grip around his sword loosened and the weapon fell on the ground with a loud sound. The ground rushed up to meet him.

Flynn heard the sword's clattering and turned around to see Yuri collapse on the ground without a sound. Flynn's eyes widened and his heart stopped in his chest.

"Yuri!" Flynn screaming his name was the last thing Yuri heard before succumbing to the darkness.

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><p><strong>AN: **Cliffhanger... I know, I'm evil. But that way, you'll be waiting to see the next chapter, don't you? Anyway, I'd like to know what you all think of this first chapter. And PeachteaKT, I hope you liked it too. :) I'll be working actively on the next chapter!

So, see you all in the next chapter! (hopefully XD)

Littlerosebud


	2. Chapter 2

****A/N: ****Hey everyone! Chapter 2 is up! Since some of you were really eager to read more of this story, I worked my butt off to give you this chapter as soon as I could. So here it is! Hope you'll all enjoy it! Especially you, PeachteaKT! ;)

Note: This is the edited version by PeachteaKT. Once again, thank you so much! ^^

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><p><strong>Stay With Me<strong>

**Chapter 2**

"Yuri!" Flynn screamed the moment he saw his friend collapse on the ground. At that moment, nothing mattered to him anymore but Yuri. Even the knights and the terrorists became second priority. The commandant dropped his sword and ran to his friend's side. He knelt besides him and cradled Yuri's head against his chest. Yuri's face was flushed and his breathing was erratic. His forehead was covered with a thin sheen of sweat and he was unconscious.

Flynn felt worry settle in his gut at the sight. Yuri was rarely sick, even when they used to roam the unhygienic streets of the Lower Quarter. But whenever he did fall sick, it had always been rather serious. Flynn was worried. He threw a quick glance at his men and was relieved to see they had the situation under control. They had managed to restrain all of the terrorists and were now binding them in chains. He would deal with this problem later. For now, he needed to look after his friend.

Flynn slipped one arm under Yuri's knees and the other around his shoulders. He then carefully lifted Yuri into his arms, cradling him against his chest. Even through their clothes, he could feel heat radiating from his friend's body. He turned to his knights and called the name of his second in command. Despite being some distance away, Sodia heard him and made her way to them. When she noticed Flynn was holding Yuri, she casted the latter a guilty look that went unnoticed to Flynn. "Yes, Commandant?" she asked plainly, avoiding glancing at Yuri.

Flynn stared at her gravely. "Sodia, I need you to take care of matters here. Bring all the surviving terrorists to the dungeons. I'll interrogate them later. I also want you to assign some of our knights to treat the wounded. That explosion must have done a lot of damage. I'll take over as soon as I can," he gave his orders calmly. Sodia reluctantly bowed to her superior. "Understood. You can leave things here to me," she said in a neutral tone, but there was a faint edge of bitterness in her words.

Satisfied, Flynn thanked her and turned away from his brigade, walking down the hallways leading to his private quarters. No matter how much Flynn had protested, saying that the commandant's quarters were too big for him alone, he had no choice but to accept the change of rooms. His old room had been good enough for him, but he was told it was not fitting for a commandant.

Flynn entered his room and went to the large bed. He gently put Yuri down on the sheets. Yuri stirred lightly. Flynn sat on the edge of the bed and caressed the long black hair splayed on his pillow. He saw his friend's eyes slowly flutter open. Flynn smiled softly at him. "Hey, you scared me back there, collapsing like that all of a sudden," he said, trying to lighten the mood. Yuri tried to smile back, but it was so strained and pained that it was painful to watch. "Sorry about that. Guess that battle was a little too much. But I'm okay now," he whispered back. Flynn threw him a severe look. "When will you stop lying, Yuri? Stop hiding from me! Don't you see you're worrying everyone more this way?" he said in a pleading tone. Yuri did not respond and closed his eyes. Flynn became frustrated by his friend's reaction. He felt as if Yuri did not trust him enough to tell him whenever something was wrong. Well, there was no use whining about it, was there?

Yuri felt the mattress dip and he opened his eyes again to see Flynn stand up. He frowned at him, trying not to wince at the throbbing pain in his neck. "What... are you doing?" he asked weakly and cursed himself for letting Flynn see him in that state. Like always, he was being nothing more than a hindrance to Flynn. The latter's gaze softened. "I'm going to go get Lady Estellise. You're sick and she can help you." At the mention of her name, Yuri frowned. Flynn saw it and found it quite strange, but he did not dwell on it. Flynn turned around and intended to walk through the door when a burning hand closed around his wrist. The commandant turned his face to gaze at Yuri's pleading expression. "Flynn, don't... Don't bother her with something like this. She's probably already got her hands full with healing the wounded," Yuri tried to reason with his friend, but the true reason why he did not want to see Estelle right now was his earlier conversation with her. He did not want to impose his presence to her so soon after he rejected her.

Flynn threw him a skeptical look, but Yuri's gaze did not waver. "Flynn, don't look at me like that. It's just a cold. I'll be fine. _You _are the one who needs to have wounds treated," Yuri whispered, trying to look convincing. However, Yuri knew what was plaguing him was not a normal cold. His entire body felt as if it were burning. There was a pressure on his chest, making it difficult to breathe normally. But he would not tell Flynn. He could not bear to see Flynn worrying over him. Furthermore, he was sure it would go away eventually. The commandant did not seem convinced. It seemed as if he wanted to say something, but he kept his mouth closed in the end.

Flynn let out a frustrated sigh. "Alright. But don't leave this bed, you hear me? I'm going to go check on things down there. I'll be back soon," the blond said reluctantly. He did not want to leave his friend's side, but he had to check on the damages from that attack. He also needed to see to the wounded and interrogate the terrorists that had survived the confrontation. Yuri nodded his approval and Flynn left the room, throwing a last worried glance in his direction before closing the door of his room behind him.

As soon as Flynn was gone, Yuri slowly pushed himself into a sitting position on Flynn's bed. The entire room seemed to spin around him and it made him feel sick to his stomach. Damn it. The swordsman felt weaker than he had before. He knew he needed to rest, but this was not the place to do so. He needed to go down to the Lower Quarter, to his own room. He could not let Flynn take care of him. The commandant had much more to do than to waste his time on him. Yuri pulled himself to his feet and almost lost his footing as the room spun even more. He cursed himself for his weakness, but refused to give up. He managed to make his way to the window on shaky legs. He was glad Flynn's new room was not on the first floor. He would not have been able to get out from the window otherwise.

Yuri opened the window and slipped outside. He almost fell over and had to lean against the wall for support. Yuri gathered himself and slowly made his way around the castle and in the direction of the Lower Quarter. Thanks to the commotion earlier, there were almost no guards around. That was convenient. He did not want them to report him to Flynn. He would not let Flynn take care of him any further.

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><p>Flynn made his way back to his room, unaware of his surroundings as he was lost in his dark thoughts. The damage from the attack was worse than he expected. When he arrived at the site of the explosion, he saw many of his knights' corpses, and many more injured civilians. Fortunately, Estelle was already there, healing the wounded to the best of her abilities. When she saw Flynn, she ran to him and had healed his wounds, despite his vehement protests that she heal the others before him. He thanked her before leaving to issue his commands to his surviving knights. They needed to reconstruct the castle gate and reform the troops. He also assigned more patrols all around Zaphias, in case more of those terrorists were lurking nearby. He had to try and avoid another bloodbath.<p>

When everything had been said and done, Flynn entered the castle and went to the dungeons. He needed to talk to the surviving terrorists. But when he tried to get information out of them, he found they were loyal to their organization as they kept silent through the entire interrogation, no matter what means used on them. But the smirks that graced their lips were not good. It made Flynn believe they had something else up their sleeves. Something catastrophic. Flynn could not stop thinking that this last attack had been too weak, too disorganized to be truly effective.

Flynn had much on his mind. On top of worrying about a second attack, he was concerned about his friend, who was presumably resting in his room. He just hoped that what Yuri was having was nothing more than a cold, but knowing Yuri, it might be more than that and Yuri was hiding it from him. It was likely to be the case. Flynn hoped he was wrong. He arrived in front of his room and pushed the door open. He closed it behind him and his gaze fell on the bed. He froze when he noticed it was empty. He frowned lightly. "Yuri?" he called his friend, but there was no response. He felt apprehension grip his heart.

He went to the bathroom area and glanced inside, but it was empty. Yuri was gone. He had left the room. Flynn cursed loudly at Yuri's stubbornness and idiocy. He was in no state to be walking around! What was he thinking? Flynn had to find him! Yuri might have collapsed somewhere in the city! The commandant thought about where Yuri might have gone. After much thinking, there was only one place that came to mind: Yuri had gone back to the Lower Quarter. Flynn would not let him escape that easily.

He left his room and walked quickly down the hallways to the entrance of the castle. Meeting some of his knights, he gave the order that until his return, they would have to obey Sodia's orders. He then departed in direction of the Lower Quarter, looking around frantically in search of his friend. He cursed as it began raining heavily, only adding to his worry. It could not do any good to Yuri in his already weakened state.

Because of the rain, there was almost no one in the streets, making Flynn's job easier. However, there were still no traces of Yuri anywhere. Maybe he had really managed to go back home alone. But Flynn could not take that chance. He kept on searching the streets. He was now in the Lower Quarter and well on his way to the Inn where Yuri was living. He passed by the fountain in the plaza. That is when he saw him. He saw his friend's lone figure, collapsed against the wall of a house. His head was lowered and his hair and clothes were soaked through with the cold rain. Flynn ran to his side. At the sound of his steps, Yuri lifted his head to look at Flynn. Slight surprise flickered in those gray eyes when he recognized the commandant looming over him, anger distorting his features. "You're such an idiot, Yuri!" Flynn yelled, not caring at all about making a scene right there on the street.

Yuri's eyes widened. "F-Flynn..." he muttered, fighting the violent shivers that ran through his body. Flynn did not see them as he was too preoccupied with yelling. "How reckless can you get? What were you thinking? You're sick! Something could have happened to you!" When he saw Yuri flinch at his words, Flynn felt his anger drain away slowly. He could not stay angry at his friend when he was in that state. He waited for one of Yuri's usual comebacks. Needless to say he was surprised when the sick swordsman only lowered his head once more and muttered, "Sorry. I just do not like being cooped in the castle." Now Flynn was really worried. It was not Yuri's style to just take his scolding obediently.

The commandant sighed and squatted in front of his friend, offering his back to him. "Climb up. I'll bring you back to your room," he said in a softer tone. He heard Yuri laugh weakly and the sound of it squeezed his chest painfully. After a few seconds, he felt two arms slip around his neck as a too cold body pressed against his back. Feeling Yuri was holding onto him securely, Flynn slipped his own arms under his friend's thighs. He pushed himself to his feet, lifting Yuri with him.

He could feel Yuri's erratic breathing against his neck and the violent shivers that wracked Yuri's body. Without wasting any more time, Flynn resumed his walk towards the Inn. Fortunately, they were not far. When they arrived at the building, Flynn climbed the stairs up to Yuri's room. He took the key Yuri offered and pushed it into the keyhole. The door unlocked and the commandant kicked it open. He entered the room and shut the door behind them.

When he saw them enter, Repede lifted his head and barked loudly, happy to see them. Flynn smiled at the warrior dog. "Hey, Repede. It's been a while," he said. Still carrying Yuri, Flynn then made his way to the small bathroom connected to the room. He put Yuri down on the edge of the bathtub and leaned over the edge to turn on the faucet. He adjusted the water so it would be warm, but not hot. Yuri might be cold right now, but he was still having a fever and an overly heated bath would be detrimental to his physical condition. Yuri watched his movements in silence, his teeth chattering lightly. He watched as Flynn left the bathroom to come back in with a pair of comfortable pants and a shirt for Yuri. The latter frowned. "Hey, you're wet. You should take a bath too," he said weakly.

When Flynn understood the implications of Yuri's words, his cheeks turned bright red. Yuri was basically telling him to take his bath together with him. Yuri found the sight quite cute and he could not stop the soft laughter that passed his lips. Flynn's embarrassment only deepened at that. "Y-yeah. You're right. Can I borrow some of your clothes?" he asked, trying to regain his composure. How Yuri could get him in such a state with a few innocent words – well, maybe not so innocent since it _was_ Yuri after all – was beyond his understanding.

Yuri nodded and Flynn went back in the bedroom to fetch some clothes for himself. It was not hard finding something that fit him since the both of them were of the same height and almost the same body built. When he came back into the bathroom, he stopped the water and looked at Yuri, blushing again. Yuri understood why and smiled weakly. "Don't worry. I can undress myself," he answered to the silent question. Flynn nodded and turned around, leaving his friend some privacy. Yuri might have said that, but he still had trouble taking off his wet clothes and slipping into the warm water.

He sighed when the water came in contact with his cold skin. He signaled Flynn, and looked away as his friend also undressed. When he felt Flynn approach the bathtub, Yuri scooted down and his friend entered the water, settling behind him. Now it was Yuri's turn to blush at their close proximity. They had bathed together many times in the past, but they had both been children. Now they were both grown men and it did not feel natural anymore. Yuri was startled out of his thoughts when two warm hands caressed his back, gently stroking his skin with a bar of soap. The soft touches were soothing. Yuri closed his eyes and relaxed as he let his friend clean him.

The knight was relieved as he felt Yuri's skin warm up a bit. At least it was not burning anymore. The cold rain had helped his fever a little. He took his time cleaning Yuri's back, shoulders and arms. Flynn marvelled at the perfection of Yuri's alluring white skin. He could not remember the last time they had been so close. Flynn felt bad that Yuri had to fall ill for him to spend time with his friend. He had neglected Yuri, letting his work take the place that was rightfully Yuri's in his life. Every time Yuri came to visit, Flynn had been harsh because he felt his friend only wanted to bother him. He only realized now that the reason behind the visits must have been because Yuri was lonely and missed him. How stupid Flynn was for not seeing it sooner. He swore he would make up for the lost time.

The commandant squeezed vanilla scented shampoo into his hands before running them through the beautiful, long, dark strands. He massaged at Yuri's scalp and he could swear he heard Yuri purr at the gentle pressure. Flynn smiled softly. He had always known his scalp was one of Yuri's soft spots. It was one of the reasons why he did not let anyone touch his hair. Anyone except Flynn. The commandant drew great pride in that. He felt his sick friend lean into his touch and he took longer than necessary to wash his hair, knowing Yuri enjoyed the sweet attention.

When he finished washing Yuri's hair, he let his friend wash the places he did not dare touch while washing himself. When they were both finished and all warmed up, Flynn stepped out of the water, drying himself up before putting on Yuri's borrowed clothes. He helped his friend in getting out of the bath and left him dress himself. When they were properly dressed, Flynn made a move to help Yuri walk to his bed, but the latter dismissed him. "I can walk, thank you," he said, taking a few wobbly steps forward. Flynn frowned. "Well, you didn't seem like you could earlier, when I found you collapsed against that wall," he answered, watching his friend carefully as he walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom.

Yuri managed to make it to his bed and collapsed on top of his sheets, closing his eyes. "I'm feeling a little better, thanks to that bath," he whispered sleepily as he suddenly felt tired. It was true. The burning sensation had lessened a little and the pressure on his chest had also lifted slightly. He felt something nudge his hand and knew it was Repede. He smiled softly at the attention as it meant his dog was worried about him. "I'm okay, Repede. I just need to rest a little," he whispered, trying to quell his dog's worry.

Yuri felt a hand caressing his wet strands and he opened his eyes a little, seeing Flynn leaning over him with a soft smile gracing his lips. "I'll be downstairs to get you something to eat," he said and Yuri grumbled. "Not hungry..." he muttered under his breath. The hand in his hair left at the same time he heard a very audible sigh. "Hungry or not, you're going to have to eat something. You won't get better if you don't. I'll be back soon," Flynn's unwavering voice reached his ears, telling him he would not back down. He barely heard his friend leave the room before he fell into a dreamless sleep.

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><p>When Yuri awoke, his room was dark and he felt cold. His ears picked up the pattering sound of the rain hitting the window. His mind drew a blank until he turned his face and saw Flynn sitting in a chair near his bed, smiling at him. He must have been out of it for a long time as it was now dark outside. He remembered collapsing on top of his bed sheets, but he was now tightly tucked under them. Flynn must have done it at some point. Repede was on the bed, nestled against his leg. The commandant reached over and pushed away a stray bang of hair that had been stuck to his forehead. "Hey, sleeping beauty. How are you feeling?" the commandant asked him jokingly, but there was no hiding the worry in his voice. Yuri closed his eyes and sighed softly. "I'm fine, Flynn. You worry too much. You can go back now. You don't need to babysit me," he whispered.<p>

Flynn knew Yuri would say that, but there was no way he was going to leave Yuri alone in that state. Either way, he did not have to worry about things in the castle as he had given specific orders to be carried out and he knew he could count on Sodia. So Yuri was stuck with him for the time being. Flynn leaned closer to Yuri and pinched his cheek playfully. The two gray eyes snapped open and glared weakly at him. "Idiot. I'm going to stay here until you get better. Now, it's time to eat," he said as he motioned to the bowl of soup lying on the bedside table.

Yuri pulled a face at that, but seeing Flynn's severe expression, he knew there was no avoiding it. The problem was that there was something about Flynn and food that did not sit well together. But the commandant did not make that, did he? Surely he got it from the innkeeper... He was still doubtful when Flynn helped him into a sitting position. When the commandant extended a spoonful of soup to him with the intent of feeding him, Yuri was highly tempted to ask. He opened his mouth to do so, but he did not get the time as the commandant forced the first spoonful into his mouth.

When the soup touched his tongue and he could taste the full flavour of it, Yuri felt all of the color drain from his face. He forced himself to swallow the foul liquid, only because he did not want to stain his bed. But when he did swallow, he almost choked, trying to chase away the foul taste in his mouth. Flynn threw him a worried look, thinking his friend was suffocating. When Yuri managed to pull himself together, he glared at the knight with as much strength as he could muster in his state. "Damn it, Flynn! _Never _cook for me again! Did you want to poison me? What did you put in there?" Yuri seethed, not believing that Flynn had really cooked for him. He _knew _his food was inedible, so why did he keep trying?

The commandant's expression saddened. "Sorry. I thought for sure that it would be good this time. I added some honey in it, since it's good for dealing with the sickness." At the way Yuri was looking at him, Flynn guessed honey was no good in an onion soup. But how was he supposed to know? And besides, Yuri loved sweet things! It was only logical that he liked it! "Do you want me to get you something else?" the commandant asked, visibly disappointed. Yuri shook his head, lying down again on the bed. He shivered lightly as he felt cold. He huddled up under the blankets. "No, do not bother. I'm not hungry, anyway," Yuri said softly.

Flynn was unhappy with Yuri's decision, but he said nothing. Yuri could be really stubborn when he wanted. Flynn put down the bowl of soup and stared at his friend until the gray eyes stared back at him questioningly. "Yuri... why didn't you want me to get Estellise to look at you? Did something happen?" he asked softly since that question had been bugging him all day. Yuri had never denied the princess's presence so vehemently before. And when Flynn had seen her, she had seemed unwell, not like her usual perky self.

Yuri's expression darkened. "You... could say that. When I went to see her, she kind of admitted she liked me," he answered in a whisper, averting his eyes from the commandant. Flynn frowned at those words. So that was it. That was why Estellise was constantly talking about Yuri and asking him if he had come recently. She had feelings for him. "And... what did you say?" he asked, fearing the answer despite himself. Yuri's expression became saddened. "I rejected her. She's like a sister to me, so... I couldn't bring myself to tell her anything else."

For some reason, Flynn felt glad. No matter how much he tried to picture it, seeing Yuri with Estelle, _romantically _involved was not something he wanted to see. At all. Just the thought of it made him feel... jealous. But why? Flynn always knew that he was rather possessive of Yuri, but he always thought it was because Yuri was his best friend, the first person that had ever really counted in his life besides his parents. But something did not feel right. He should not feel that way towards his best friend. Yuri had the right to go out with whomever he wanted. But no matter how much Flynn told himself so, he could not stop the sting of jealousy and possessiveness from piercing his heart.

The knight felt troubled by such thoughts. "I see. Was that all she wanted to tell you?" Flynn asked, not really out of curiosity but more because he wanted to divert the conversation to stop thinking about his messed up feelings. Yuri pulled a face, the sort of face that told the commandant straight away that he was hiding something. "Yeah, that was pretty much it," he said, obviously uncomfortable. Flynn decided not to push the subject further. If Yuri did not want to tell him, he would respect his decision.

A violent shiver ran through Yuri's body, one that did not go unnoticed by Flynn. He frowned. "Are you cold?" he asked gently. Yuri nodded, wrapping his arms around himself under the blankets. Flynn did not think twice before rising to his feet and approaching the bed. He kicked his boots away and lifted the blankets, slipping under them despite Yuri's shocked gaze. Flynn reached over and wrapped his arms softly around his friend's slim waist. "Come here," he whispered, gently pulling Yuri closer until his friend was pressed against his chest into the warmth of his arms. The thought of protesting did not even cross Yuri's mind. Instead, he nestled even closer to Flynn's sweet warmth and sighed in satisfaction. Repede jumped down from the bed, throwing an annoyed glare at the commandant for having stolen his cushion.

Flynn smiled apologetically at the dog. "Sorry, Repede," he said, knowing the dog was not really angry at him. The latter settled on the ground at the bed's feet, closing his good eye to go back to sleep. Flynn returned his attention to Yuri, smiling softly against his soft hair and whispering into his ear, "Do you remember when we used to always sleep like that when we were young?" Yuri smiled softly into the commandant's chest. "Yeah. Back then, I only ever really felt safe when you were there. You had that way of making me feel safe. It was just us back then. No one to take care of us, except for the innkeeper that always gave us food and blankets to keep us warm at night," Yuri whispered, recalling that time of their life when they were both kids wandering the streets.

Yuri had no parents and Flynn's father had died in battle when he was still a little kid. His mother could not take the loss of her husband and had died soon after from the grief, leaving Flynn in the same state as Yuri. That was when they had met each other. Instantly, despite their differences, they had forged a bond so strong that not even time and distance could break it apart. "And do you remember all those times you yelled at me when you caught me stealing food from the mean shop owner next to the Inn?" Yuri added, feeling his smile grow fonder as he lost himself in his cherished memories.

He would not admit it, but those were the happiest times of his life. Because they were memories shared with Flynn. Back when they only had each other. Flynn laughed softly. "Yeah, I remember. And even when you got caught that one time, you didn't stop. I remember he had punished you badly, and the same night, I snuck outside and threw mud balls at his windows. He deserved it." They both laughed together, remembering the man's reaction at Flynn's prank. Needless to say Flynn had never stopped Yuri from pestering the man again. He had even participated in the raids a couple of times.

Flynn's hold on Yuri's waist tightened, like he feared Yuri would disappear. His gaze grew distant as he stared at the moon rays dancing on the wall. "Hey, Yuri... do you remember that place from where we used to gaze at the stars?" he whispered dreamily as the place he spoke off appeared in his mind. It was an abandoned house located in the Lower Quarter, near the outskirts of the city. It was higher than the houses around it. Flynn and Yuri had climbed on top of the house one time, and they could see the stars shining in the night sky. The view had been breathtaking. They started a habit of going up there on warm nights to stargaze.

Yuri closed his eyes as he remembered those warm nights. "Yeah... It was our secret haven. No one else ever came there. I can't even remember how many nights we just lay there together counting the stars... I don't know if that place even exists anymore..." he trailed off, fighting off the sleep that Flynn's warmth slowly lulled him towards. He did not want to sleep. He wanted to keep on remembering and sharing their fond memories. But eventually, he fell asleep, curled against the commandant's chest.

Flynn heard his friend's breathing becoming steady and he felt him relax in his embrace. He knew by now that Yuri had fallen asleep. He pulled away a little, only enough to take a look at Yuri's face. He found Yuri's sleeping face adorable. One of his hands carefully left his friend's waist and went to his forehead. He still had a fever. Flynn knew it would be better for Yuri if he pulled himself away a little, but he did not have the heart to. He felt at peace with Yuri in his arms, loving his warmth against him and the feel of his long silky hair flowing through his fingers as he caressed them. He felt as if Yuri had always belonged there. That was a strange thought. Flynn did not know what to think of it, so he decided to push that thought aside for the time being. He kept on stroking the lovely black hair and leaned in to drop a soft kiss on his friend's forehead. "Good night, Yuri," he whispered before closing his eyes, waiting for sleep to claim him.

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><p>Yuri woke up feeling as if he was suffocating. He opened his eyes with a start and panted as his chest constricted painfully. It hurt each time he inhaled. In his panic, he felt trapped and fought against what was holding him. It took him a long moment to finally realize it was Flynn. He managed to calm himself and was glad he did not wake Flynn up. He did not want him to see him in that state, panicked and flushed. He tried to get back to sleep, but the pain flaring in his chest prevented him from doing so. He just hoped he would be able to hide this from Flynn once morning came. His friend had already done too much for him. He did not want him to worry even more about him.<p>

Flynn woke up in time with the sun rising on the horizon. When he opened his eyes, he saw Yuri was already awake. He smiled at him. "Hey, good morning. How are you feeling?" he asked, concern clear in his voice. Yuri smiled at him, but his smile did not reach his eyes. Fortunately for him, Flynn did not notice it. "I'm feeling better. All thanks to your sweet caring love," he joked lightly and the commandant flushed at the comment. He slowly released Yuri and sat up in the bed, almost unable to look at his friend, embarrassed by his actions the day before. "Well, if you're feeling better, then maybe you won't complain about eating something?" he asked, finally gathering the courage to look at him.

The idea of eating made Yuri sick to his stomach, but he hid his reaction skilfully. "Why not? As long as it's not something you made, I'm fine with it. Just hold on a sec. I have to go to the bathroom," Yuri lied smoothly and was glad when Flynn did not seem to see through it. "Okay. I'll go ask the innkeeper to prepare something for you, since you don't want to eat my food," he answered before leaving the bed and picking up his now dry clothing. He changed and put his boots on before turning around to look at Yuri. He smiled at him. "I'll be right back," he said before walking to the door. He threw a last worried glance at Yuri before opening the door and leaving the room.

As soon as he was out the room, Yuri grabbed his chest and winced at the unbearable pain. His breathing was coming out as wheezing. Yuri did not know what was happening and it scared him. The burning sensation was coming back and he felt sore all over. He really was not feeling well. He did not know how long he would be able to keep his facade up in front of his friend. He managed to push himself to his feet and made his way to the bathroom with difficulty.

Yuri had barely made a few steps into the bathroom when a sharp pain flared into his chest, much more vividly than before. He fell to his knees and doubled over at the intense pain and covered his mouth as he coughed violently. His entire body shook with the force of his hacking. When it finally stopped, leaving his throat raw and hurting, Yuri moved his hand away from his mouth. He felt something wet on his hand. His eyes widened and his hand shook when he saw what it was. Blood. He had coughed up blood. Another wave of coughing hit him, this time much stronger than the one before and Yuri collapsed to the ground, unable to control himself because of the intense pain coursing through his body.

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><p>Flynn climbed the stairs to Yuri's room, holding the plate with their breakfast. He would make sure that Yuri would eat this morning. He would not get better if he had nothing in his stomach. The commandant opened the door to Yuri's room and slipped inside. The first thing he saw was Repede, waiting in front of the door. He barked insistently at the sight of the commandant and Flynn found it strange. He lifted his eyes from the dog and frowned when he saw the room was empty. His gaze fell on the door to the bathroom and he found it curious when he saw it was partly open. He went closer to the door. "Yuri?" he called with uncertainty. He grew worried when he got no response.<p>

He pushed the door open tentatively. His eyes widened when he saw Yuri lying on the floor, writhing. The plate fell off his hand and crashed on the floor. "Yuri!" Flynn screamed and was at Yuri's side in a matter of seconds. He lifted his friend until he was leaning against him. He wanted to ask him what was wrong when his eyes fell on Yuri's hand. When he saw the blood staining it, fear gripped his heart. "Blood? Where is it coming from? Are you hurt? What's wrong?" he asked frantically, checking his friend for any visible wounds. He felt even more troubled when he found none.

Yuri grasped Flynn's shirt and drew a bitter and pained smile. "Flynn... I don't think I'm okay after all..." he whispered just before another coughing fit wracked his body. Flynn's arms immediately wrapped around him, pulling his friend against him as his body shook violently. Yuri put his hand over his mouth again and Flynn saw with horror blood running through the fingers as Yuri tried to hide it from Flynn. He was coughing up blood! The commandant felt panic fill him at the sight. This could not be anything good. Damn Yuri and his stubbornness! Making Flynn believe what had been plaguing him was nothing but a cold! Now it was too late for more lies.

Flynn tightened his embrace and closed his eyes in unrest as Yuri kept on coughing. It went on for an agonizingly long time before it finally stopped. Yuri collapsed against his chest, breathing heavily. Flynn did not lose any time in lifting his friend from the ground. He quickly made his way to the bed and laid him gently on the sheets. "I don't care if you don't want to see her. I'm going to get Lady Estellise!" he said, barely keeping the panic in check in his voice. As he was about to run out of the room, a weak and bloodied hand closed around his sleeve. He looked down to gaze on his friend's pained face. "No, please..." Yuri rasped. Flynn barely heard the two words leaving those bloodstained lips.

Flynn cursed under his breath and shook off his friend's weak grip. Without a single word, Flynn ran out of the room and down the stairs. He burst out into the Inn's foyer. The innkeeper looked surprised at his dishevelled appearance as he ran to the counter. "Flynn! What's going on?" she exclaimed and Flynn cut her to the chase. "Please, bring a doctor to Yuri's room quickly!" he exclaimed, desperation written all over his features. The innkeeper understood the gravity of the situation. She had never seen the commandant so panicked and frightened before, and it said a lot as she had known him since he was a little kid.

She looked at Ted, who was standing near the counter, a look of confusion plastered on his face. "Ted, do as Flynn asked. Go to doctor Kazuhei's place and bring him back here. Tell him it's an emergency!" she asked the young boy. The latter nodded and ran past Flynn and out of the Inn. The commandant seemed to calm down a little, but he was still distressed. He mumbled a distracted thank you before turning around, intending to leave to go back to Yuri. But the sound of his name drew his attention back to the innkeeper. She was looking at him with worry. "Don't hesitate to ask me if there's anything I can do," she told him gently. Flynn nodded once before rushing out of the room.

When he entered Yuri's room, he felt Yuri's pained gaze settle on him. Flynn went to the bed and sat next to Yuri. He saw that his dark haired friend wanted to ask something, but he beat him to it. "Do not worry. I only went downstairs and asked for a doctor," he said, managing to hide his panic under a strained smile. Yuri let out a relieved sigh. "Thanks..." he muttered before a violent shiver ran through him. Flynn's hand went to his hair, caressing the long strands. "Are you cold?" he asked gently and earned a nod in answer.

The commandant lifted himself up from the bed and pried the sheets from under Yuri, covering him to give him some warmth. His hand went to Yuri's forehead only to find it burning. It was no surprise. Flynn went to the bathroom and moistened a cloth with cold water. When he went back to Yuri's side, he gently placed it against his burning forehead. He could instantly sense some tension leave his friend's body. But Yuri's expression indicated that he was still in pain. Flynn sat in the chair he had pulled near the bed the day before and took Yuri's burning hand in his. Now, the only thing he could do was waiting and it was killing him.

Yuri turned his flushed face to look at him. "Flynn... I'm sorry. I really am a burden. Having you taking care of me and all that when you have more important things to do…" he whispered, feeling pathetic. He was unable to hide the pain lacing his words. A bitter smile stretched across the commandant's lips. "Idiot. I'll never think that way. There will never be anything more important than you in my eyes. So stop saying things like that," he said with sadness. Yuri felt his cheeks burn with more than the fever at the words of his friend. He opened his mouth to talk when another fit of coughing wracked his body.

Flynn was immediately by his side, pulling him up and into the warmth of his arms, trying to soothe his pain. Emotional agony showed on the commandant's features and he was glad Yuri could not see it as his face was pressed against the commandant's chest. When it seemed like Yuri had finished, Flynn took a cloth lying on the bedside table and gave it to Yuri. The long haired man wiped the blood on his lips and hands with it. Flynn then took the bloodstained cloth from his hands and helped him to lie down again.

The pain in Yuri's chest was unbearable. The more time passed, the more it grew. He hurt all over. It felt as if lava was burning through his veins. If he had the strength to do so, he would have been thrashing around in his bed and screaming pain. But the same pain had left him weak to the point of needing someone to take care of him. He hated himself for it; he hated taking Flynn away from his duties; he hated showing him this vulnerable side. Because even if Yuri wanted his friend to go away, he would not say so. He _needed_ him. He needed Flynn to tell him everything would be okay. He needed to hear those lies, because when it was Flynn saying them, Yuri could allow himself to believe them, even for a fleeting moment.

Yuri felt his senses slowly grow dull as his fever flared up. He could still feel Flynn next to him, holding his hand, but even though he tried to focus his gaze on Flynn's face, he could not make out anything more than a skin-colored blur. His eyes glazed over and he whimpered at the pain that kept on growing, crushing his chest uncomfortably.

Flynn felt himself growing restless as he saw Yuri slowly becoming delirious, whimpering in pain and turning his head to the side slightly, neck tendons taut. What the hell was that doctor doing? Flynn wanted to go fetch him personally, but he did not want to leave Yuri alone in his state. If another fit of coughing took him, he might even choke himself on the blood that would fill his throat. Suddenly, a knock against the closed door was heard. The commandant jumped in surprise and Repede growled menacingly. Flynn shushed him and turned his face to the door to see it open, revealing a rather old man holding a small case. The doctor. Flynn recognized him. He was a kind man that had always taken care of the residents of the Lower Quarter. He knew they were poor, so he had always charged his patients a lower fee.

The old man entered the room and closed the door behind him. The man seemed to recognize him and he bowed slightly. "Oh, Commandant. I did not realize you were the one calling for my help. So, he is the young man who I have been told to examine?" he added while motioning to Yuri. Flynn nodded. "Yes. Thank you for coming, Doctor Kazuhei," he said while standing up, reluctantly letting go of his friend's hand. Kazuhei immediately took the place Flynn had been in seconds before. He began to examine Yuri, conducting a series of tests on him. "What symptoms did you notice?" he asked the commandant, never turning his attention away from his patient.

Flynn closed his eyes in unrest. "He has a strong fever and he seems to be in pain. I think he also has trouble breathing. And... he began coughing up blood this morning," he whispered the last part. The doctor threw him a surprised look, but he quickly went back to his examination. Flynn stood next to him, nervously gnawing on his lip as his gaze never left Yuri's flushed and drawn face. He was anxious to hear the diagnosis. He tried to reassure himself that it would not be the worst case scenario.

It felt like an eternity before the doctor's attention finally turned to Flynn. "You said your friend began coughing up blood. Is there some blood left somewhere?" Flynn frowned at the odd question. He nodded and went to the bedside table. He took the cloth he had given Yuri to wipe the blood and gave it to the doctor. Kazuhei examined it and he frowned at what he saw. Flynn did not understand. "What is it?" he asked, deeply concerned. The old man put the cloth back on the table and began to search through his case. "I need to make sure of something before confirming the diagnosis," he said. He finally took out a syringe. Taking Yuri's arm, he exposed the skin of his forearm.

The doctor disinfected his syringe before gently pressing the tip against the crook of his patient's arm. He then pierced the skin and inserted the syringe under the skin, into the vein. If Yuri felt it, it did not show on his face. When he had finished taking the sample of blood, Kazuhei pulled the syringe out and put a disinfecting cloth over the small wound to stop the faint bleeding. He then pulled out a small glass container and slowly dropped the sample of blood on it in little drops. The doctor stared intensely at the blood. Flynn was confused by this and moved closer, also looking at the sample of Yuri's blood. Some time passed and he was at the verge of asking the doctor what he was searching for when before his disbelieving eyes, the blood slowly turned to a shade of black.

Flynn did not know what to make of it, but Kazuhei seemed to know exactly why. His expression darkened and he leaned over Yuri. He gently took his arms, seemingly searching for something. He then grabbed Yuri's jaw and gently pushed his face to the side. A soft whimper escaped the dark haired man's lips. The doctor pushed his hair aside, exposing his neck. Flynn finally saw it. It was a sting mark of some sort. The skin around it was an angry red and swollen. The doctor released Yuri and sighed, putting his face into his hands. That worried the commandant. "What is it? Please tell me!" he asked, concern and worry emanating from his voice.

Kazuhei finally turned around and looked at Flynn with a grave expression. At that moment, Flynn knew he would not like what he was about to hear. But he had to know what was plaguing his friend, so he braced himself to listen. "I've seen some cases like this in the past. It is a disease that a rare kind of bug carries. The symptoms are as such; bad fever, difficulty breathing, the patient is in agonizing pain and he coughs up blood. This virus travels in the blood of the victim. It infects it and the organism tries to get rid of it by expelling the bad blood. But the symptom that gives it away is the fact that when infected, the blood turns black, even when it isn't coagulated."

Flynn felt numb. His eyes never left the sting mark on Yuri's neck. "What happens now?" he whispered, fearing the answer. Kazuhei's eyes softened. "Usually, this disease takes only a few days. The infection is quick in spreading into the entirety of the blood vessels, and when it reaches his heart..." he trailed off. Flynn found himself holding his breath. His heart missed a beat and he _knew_ what was coming.

"... He will die."

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><p><strong>AN: **Another cliffhanger... *explodes herself for having done it again* I know, I'm sorry, but I couldn't end the chapter somewhere else but there! You have the right to kill me for ending it here. But wait, if you do, you won't be able to read the next chapter, so... I guess I'm safe until then? O_O

Jokes aside, I'd like it if you could take the time to leave comments. I'm really going out of my comfort zone with this fic, so it's a little nerve-wracking.

Concerning the chapter, I took the liberty to add a bathroom to Yuri's room. It IS an Inn room and normally those have small bathrooms annexed to the bedroom. And the disease Yuri is going down with is completely invented. So don't sue me if you think it cannot happen. In this story, it can :)

Well, with that said, I'll do my best to get the next chapter out before Christmas. :) If I don't make it, then I'll say it now: Merry Christmas everyone! Take care!

Littlerosebud


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Hey everyone! I'm sorry for the late update. I had a lot going on during Christmas break and I could not finish the chapter as quickly as I wanted. It is finally done! I hope the length of this chapter will make up for the long wait.

This chapter also closes the story. I don't want to say more right now, so I'll leave a longer note at the end. I hope you will enjoy this chapter.

Note: This chapter was edited by my dear** PeachteaKT**. Thank you again, you're so sweet!

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><p><strong>Stay With Me<strong>

**Chapter 3**

"_... He will die."_ Flynn never thought that three simple words could have the ability to shatter his entire world; that they could make everything collapse around him. _He will die_. The reality of those words took a long time to settle into the commandant's mind. When he finally realized their meaning, Flynn felt something break violently inside him. Flynn looked at Yuri's pained face, feeling dread and agony settle into his heart, piercing a bleeding hole through it. He did not realize he stopped breathing until his lungs painfully requested the air that was denied to them. Flynn turned his face towards the doctor, not even trying to hide the agony he was feeling. "Can't we do something? I won't let him die like this!" he exclaimed, pain bleeding into his words.

Kazuhei let out a resigned sigh. "Aside from giving him painkillers to ease his pain, there is nothing we can really do. I'm sorry." Flynn clenched his hands tightly into fists as his body shook from anger and desperation. The commandant tried to control his emotions, but this time they got the better of him. "I refuse to let him die without trying anything! There has to be something!" he exclaimed pleadingly, and his eyes reflected his deep sorrow. The doctor stared at him for a long time in silence.

"There's indeed something, but I don't think it's a good idea to use it. The rate of success is at most five per cent and if it doesn't work, we will only end up shortening the time he has left to live," Kazuhei finally said in a low tone, fatality clear in his voice. Flynn looked at his friend again. Yuri was trashing weakly in his bed and moaning in pain. The sight was too much to bear. Flynn sat on the edge of the bed, unable to stand up anymore as his emotions raged violently inside him. The blond managed to contain his emotions long enough to talk in a flat tone. "Tell me." If there was a slight chance of saving Yuri, Flynn needed to know.

Kazuhei looked deeply into the commandant's haunted gaze. "We have to make him bleed. It gets rid of as much infected blood as possible while still keeping him alive. It'll give his body a chance to fight the remaining infection. But on the other hand, it'll weaken him and if his body is not strong enough, the infection could take over and spread at a faster pace. It is a risky gamble," the older man explained softly.

Flynn was unable to say anything as his mind reeled in a panicked frenzy. He did not know what to do. It reflected on Flynn's face and Kazuhei stood up, throwing a sympathetic glance at the commandant. "I'll let you think about it. I'll be downstairs, waiting for your decision," the doctor said before making for the door. He silently left the room.

As soon as Kazuhei was gone, Flynn rose from the bed and paced urgently around the room. His thoughts swirled dangerously in his mind. He felt rage, desperation, and sorrow grow in him until he could not keep them in check anymore. His fist violently collided with the wall. "Shit!" he yelled, hitting the wall again and again in his desperation. He embraced the pain as it kept him from feeling the agony in which he was slowly drowning.

"Flynn..." the soft call of his name snapped the commandant back to reality. That voice was so weak and pained it wrenched the commandant's heart. Flynn turned around to see two gray eyes looking at him, strangely lucid despite the pain shining in them. The commandant was by his friend's side in a split moment, taking a frail and burning hand into his own. "Yuri..." Flynn whispered the name of his friend, unable to hide his misery from those eyes. A pained smile stretched across Yuri's lips. "How ironic... After everything I've done, I'm going to die because of a bug. Fate is really funny..." Yuri whispered painfully, almost laughing at the situation. Flynn closed his eyes in unrest and squeezed his friend's hand almost painfully. "Don't say things like that! I swear I won't let you die!" he said with a deep sadness.

Yuri opened his eyes again and looked straight into Flynn's gaze. "Don't make promises you know you won't be able to keep," he whispered before his body was wracked by yet another fit of coughing. Flynn's hand went to Yuri's hair, stroking it and trying to soothe him. Yuri sighed when he stopped coughing. He looked closely at his best friend. The agony and sadness he could read on Flynn's features pained him. He could not bear to see such an expression.

"Flynn... what the doctor said... let's try it. I won't give in without a fight," Yuri whispered and soon saw two blue eyes widen in surprise and hesitation. "But... he said that if you do it, and it doesn't work, you might die even faster!" the commandant said, looking fearful for his life. Yuri squeezed his friend's hand. "I know... But I'm done for, anyway. A couple of days won't make a difference for me," he whispered, and even through his weak state, conviction was dripping from his voice. If the situation was not so desperate, Flynn would have smiled at his friend's unwavering nature. The commandant only nodded, his face reflecting the misery he was feeling. "Alright then."

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><p>As soon as Flynn went back to Yuri's room with the doctor, Kazuhei did not waste time in giving Flynn specific orders. He asked the commandant to go fetch a bucket and a wet cloth. Flynn obeyed while the older man settled at Yuri's side. The doctor gave Yuri some painkillers as he was still in pain. The medicine could not take away all of his pain, but it would at least ease it a little. Kazuhei then took bandages, disinfectant, a scalpel, a needle and thread from his case. When Flynn came back from the bathroom with the supplies, the doctor told him to put the bucket on the ground near the bed. The commandant obeyed, and looked at Kazuhei with concern. "How are you planning to do it?" he asked with uneasiness. Flynn did not like having to hurt Yuri. The thought that they could seriously shorten his life if they took too much blood concerned him deeply.<p>

The doctor looked at him calmly. "I'm going to slit the veins at his wrist. This is one of the places where the blood flows the more freely. And that is also why I'll need your assistance in stopping the blood while I'll disinfect and stitch the wound. We'll have to act quickly once we'll have made him bleed enough. Are you up to it, Flynn?" he asked, his expression reflecting the gravity of the situation.

Flynn looked at Yuri, who was staring back at him as the medication had not completely taken his lucidity yet. The commandant nodded slowly. "I'm ready," he said as he went to sit next to Yuri on the edge of the bed. The doctor took Yuri's wrist gently and positioned it over the bucket. He took his scalpel and pressed the blade on the skin of Yuri's wrist. Kazuhei looked at Yuri's face and saw him close his eyes.

It was Kazuhei's cue. He put pressure on the skin, drawing a clean line along the wrist. The skin tore open and blood seeped freely from the wound. Yuri made no movement indicating he had felt the cut. Flynn took his friend's hand and his thumb circled Yuri's palm in a soothing gesture. The commandant looked as Yuri's blood fell into the bucket in a free and steady flow. He felt a deep fear grip his heart at the sight, and forced his eyes away from it. Flynn's gaze fell on Yuri's face and he saw those gray eyes were looking back at him with pain. Flynn smiled to his friend, silently telling him that everything would be fine.

Time seemed to slow down as the only sound in the room was the one of Yuri's blood hitting the bucket. Flynn stole a glance at the bucket and he felt his fear worsen at the volume of blood it contained. He looked at Kazuhei to see the doctor looking intensely at the bucket. The older man seemed to be calculating the amount of blood Yuri lost. He felt a sudden pressure on his hand. Flynn directed his attention at Yuri's face, in time to see his friend shut his eyes close and hear him moan in pain. Panic took hold of the commandant. "Doctor, we should stop! He's not feeling well!" he said in a panicked tone.

Kazuhei looked at Yuri and frowned when he saw the dark haired man thrash weakly around, sweat dampening his forehead. "We can't stop now. We still need to take more blood," the doctor said confidently. Flynn was not satisfied, but he did not protest. He squeezed Yuri's hand more tightly, trying to comfort him. The commandant grew even more restless when Yuri stopped his thrashing after a while and his skin slowly turned to a deathly pale color. "Doctor!" Flynn exclaimed more urgently.

Kazuhei still did not listen to Flynn. He kept on staring at the blood falling from Yuri's wrist calmly. Flynn did not share his calm state. When he saw Yuri's eyes roll in their sockets, he grabbed the doctor's arm. "Enough! You'll kill him!" the commandant exclaimed with fright. Kazuhei seemed to agree with him this time. He quickly grabbed the wet cloth Flynn had brought and pressed it against the bleeding wrist. "Keep it pressed against the wound," the doctor said quickly. Flynn did as told, pressing the cloth tightly against the wound to stop the flow. The doctor quickly prepared the disinfectant, and when it was ready, Flynn removed the bloodied cloth. He watched anxiously as Kazuhei disinfected the wound. When he was done, the doctor stitched the wound and wrapped a bandage securely around Yuri's wrist to keep the stitches in place.

When the doctor finished, Flynn looked at Yuri and let out a sigh of relief. His friend seemed to have calmed down, but he was still worried as Yuri's skin was still a deathly white. Flynn was suddenly aware of the scent of blood hanging heavily in the air. It made him feel sick knowing it was Yuri's. The doctor seemed to sense his discomfort. He pulled a bottle of alcohol out of his case. He then took the bucket and went to the bathroom to dispose of the blood properly. Flynn caressed Yuri's hair gently, looking worriedly at his friend's face. Yuri's breathing was shallow, but he did not seem to be in pain anymore. That in itself was good, even if Flynn did not know if it was necessarily a good sign.

Kazuhei came back into the room and went to check on Yuri. He checked his pulse and his temperature. When he pulled away, he put a comforting hand on the commandant's shoulder. "He will be fine for the time being. His temperature dropped down and his pulse is almost back to normal. I'll come back tomorrow morning to check on him. Meanwhile, I'll leave you the painkillers. You should give him some every four hours or so," the doctor explained softly. Flynn nodded. "Thank you, Doctor. Really," he said in a relieved tone. Kazuhei smiled at him. "Don't hesitate to ask for me again if his condition changes," he said with real concern in his voice. Flynn agreed and watched as the doctor gathered his things and left the room.

Flynn turned his attention to Yuri again. The even breathing of his friend told Flynn straight away that Yuri had fallen asleep. As much as Flynn wanted to let him rest, he knew his priority was to strengthen him. Losing so much blood must have left Yuri in a weak state. He needed to eat and drink, but Flynn was hesitant to leave Yuri alone. What if something happened while he was downstairs? He did not want a repeat of this morning. Just as he was wondering what to do, something nudged his leg and the commandant lowered his gaze on Repede. The dog was staring at him, unflinching. Flynn understood what he was trying to say.

He smiled to the dog and bent to stroke his head. "You'll watch over Yuri for me? Thanks, Repede. I'll be right back," Flynn said before rising to his feet. He was also wondering if he should go to the castle to see how things were standing after the attack from the terrorists. Flynn hesitated because he wanted to stay at Yuri's side, but he still had responsibilities as the commandant. After some thinking, he decided to trust Sodia with the castle's matters. His second in command was reliable. She had never let him down and Flynn trusted her to do whatever was necessary in case of an emergency. Flynn decided he would stay at his friend's side until he would get better. His heart won over his reason. Flynn glanced one last time at Yuri before reluctantly leaving the room.

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><p>Yuri awoke when a gentle hand shook him gently. He could hear a voice calling his name insistently, and as much as he wanted to ignore it, he found he could not. It took great effort to open his eyes, and when he did, everything was blurry. He felt groggy and his senses were numbed. Even when he turned his head to the side to look at the person calling his name, it felt as if his eyes did not follow the movement of his head. He still tried to focus his gaze on the blurred face leaning hover him. After some time, Yuri was able to recognize Flynn and he could hear what he was saying. "...you feeling?" the gentle voice of his friend reached him. A calloused hand stroked his hair softly and Yuri sighed. He did not have the strength to answer. He still felt tired and all he wanted was to go back to sleep, but it seemed his friend would not let him.<p>

Flynn's hand went behind Yuri's head and he angled it as he presented a glass of water to his lips. "Drink this," the commandant told his friend. He saw Yuri open his lips and Flynn gently angled the glass, making him drink. When Yuri swallowed all the water, Flynn took back the glass and presented him a spoon of food instead. He saw in Yuri's eyes that he feared a remake of yesterday. Flynn smiled at him. "Don't worry. I'm not the one who cooked this. Now eat, if you want to regain your strength," Flynn said gently. It seemed to calm Yuri down as he obediently let Flynn feed him, but after a few spoonfuls, he did not want to eat anymore. Flynn did not push him. At least he ate a little. The commandant let Yuri lie down again and watched as he quickly fell asleep again. Flynn stayed to watch over his friend, trying to divert his thoughts from their depressed course.

Throughout the day, Yuri kept alternating between sleep and awareness. Each time Yuri awoke, Flynn fed him and gave him water. Color slowly returned to Yuri's face and Flynn kept up the insane hope that his friend might be saved. Flynn feared the doctor's visit the next morning, for his diagnosis would tell of Yuri's future. It would tell if it would all be over in a couple of days. Flynn hoped with all his heart that it would not.

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><p>Yuri slowly opened his eyes to a dark room. His head was pounding mercilessly. His muscles were sore. Yuri felt a warm pressure on his hand and tilted his head to the side. Flynn was sleeping in the chair next to the bed, holding Yuri's hand securely. The commandant's head was hanging low against his chest and his neck was strained uncomfortably. Flynn's fair bangs were covering his closed eyes, moving at the rhythm of his even breathing. His sleeping face was adorable. Yuri felt a surge of warmth pool into his chest at the sight of his friend.<p>

Lately, whenever he was around Flynn, Yuri felt that strange sensation. The sensation that he was coming to life every time Flynn as much as touched Yuri or gazed at him. Yuri was no fool. He finally understood what it was, but he did not bring himself to say it for fear of making these feelings true. Yuri was no good for Flynn and he did not think the commandant returned his feelings. Every time Yuri came to visit him, Flynn was always cold and impatient, making Yuri feel unwanted, so the dark haired man kept it all hidden from his friend. He did not want to burden the commandant with unwanted and unshared feelings.

But right now, Yuri wanted to be selfish. He needed to feel the warmth of his friend. He needed his closeness, for Flynn to make him believe he would make it through this ordeal. Yuri moved his hand, accidentally jostling Flynn. The commandant stirred in his sleep and opened his eyes sleepily. When Flynn realized Yuri was awake, the sleepiness quickly left his eyes. "Yuri, you're awake," the commandant whispered. Yuri made a small smile. "You're gonna have a stiff neck if you sleep like that," he whispered back, trying to joke despite his weak state.

Flynn straightened up and rubbed his sore neck. "You're right, but I'll manage," he answered, but Flynn did not find the strength to smile back. He did not want to smile as he did not feel like it. Yuri's smile slowly disappeared. "Stop worrying, Flynn. I'll be fine," Yuri tried to reassure his friend, but it did not work. Flynn closed his eyes in unrest. When he opened them, pain shone in them. "You don't know that, Yuri. There's no guarantee that..." the commandant was unable to finish his thought. It hurt too much just to think about Yuri dying.

Yuri understood this conversation was leading nowhere. He sighed softly. "Forget it. Why don't you come here? There's enough space for two," Yuri said softly. Part of the reason he was asking was because Yuri felt pity for his friend, since he had to sleep in an uncomfortable chair. But another part of the reason was because Yuri wanted to feel his friend's closeness. He needed his presence. Flynn stared at him for several seconds. He finally rose to his feet and approached the bed. Yuri scooted over as Flynn crawled under the sheets.

Yuri's bed was small, so the two men had no choice but to cuddle closely. Flynn did not mind in the least. He pulled Yuri close to his chest and was surprised when once again he met no resistance from his friend. It troubled Flynn. "What's wrong? You're not usually this submissive," Flynn whispered teasingly. If Yuri was in a normal state, Flynn would not have used the word "submissive" while talking about him. Flynn knew it would result in a few broken ribs or a broken nose. The knight waited for a comeback from his fiery friend.

"Ha ha. Count yourself lucky; I'm not strong enough to kick your ass right now. Otherwise I totally would," Yuri replied, but his words held no venom to them. Despite his words, the long haired man gripped the commandant's shirt tightly, like he was afraid he would go away. Flynn was even more troubled by his friend's actions. Was it only the sickness that made Yuri cling to him in such a way, or was there something else? Somehow, Flynn wanted another reason to be behind his friend's actions. Whatever the case, Flynn was glad Yuri was acting like that.

One of the knight's arms trailed slowly up his friend's back to his hair. His action caused a shiver to run through Yuri. Flynn noticed it. "Yuri?" he whispered questioningly. Yuri did not answer and instead, he hid his burning face into Flynn's shirt. It was embarrassing. Flynn's closeness was making him feel... _things_ he should not feel. Not towards his best friend. Even that hand caressing his hair and massaging his scalp was making him go crazy. Yuri wanted to tell Flynn to stop, but at the same time, he did not want to. He loved the affectionate gesture.

A thought suddenly made Yuri tense. Flynn was not his usual self. Lately, the commandant gave cold shoulder whenever they met. Was Flynn so caring and gentle only because Yuri was sick? Was he doing that only to make him feel better? Would everything go back to how it used to be if Yuri recovered? Would they go back to seeing each other rarely as if they were almost strangers? Somehow, that thought hurt him more than he thought it ever could. If that was the case, Yuri did not want more of those lies.

Flynn sensed something was wrong with Yuri. He was about to ask him when he felt Yuri try weakly to get away from his embrace. However Flynn did not let him as his arm circled Yuri's waist tighter. "Yuri? What's wrong?" he said with confusion. Yuri stopped his futile struggle. "You don't have to force yourself, you know," the long haired man whispered and Flynn almost missed the words. He frowned as he did not understand them. What was Yuri saying? It took some time to the commandant to understand, but he eventually did. He did not like what he heard. "Yuri, look at me," he ordered in a firm tone. When Yuri did not obey, Flynn gripped his chin and lifted it until their eyes met. He could see in the gray eyes that Yuri was upset and hurt. "What makes you think I don't want to take care of you?" he asked almost pleadingly.

Yuri sighed softly. "Forget it, okay? I shouldn't have said anything," he said tiredly. He had not thought about the consequences of his previous words, and he regretted saying anything. Yuri knew how stubborn Flynn could be. He was proved right. The commandant threw him a displeased look. "It's too late for that. Now tell me," he replied firmly. Yuri closed his eyes for a split second to collect his thoughts. When he opened them again, Flynn found the hurt shining in them had grown. "Because whenever we see each other lately, I seem to do nothing but bother you. We've only grown apart lately. I just find it hard to believe you've had a change of heart now," Yuri admitted as he looked to the side.

The guilt Flynn felt the day before worsened at his friend's words. He did not realize his attitude hurt Yuri that much. Yuri was always good at hiding his feelings. Flynn cursed himself for not having seen it sooner. He pulled Yuri even closer to him and leaned his face against Yuri's forehead. "I'm sorry, Yuri. I never realized you felt that way! It's just that... I'm not used to this job. I'm not used having so many responsibilities! Because of that, I'm always stressed out and I take it out on you, even if I don't want to. I'm not proud of that, or for neglecting you all this time. Sometimes, I think I'm just not cut out for this job. I'm too young, I'm –" Flynn began to blurt out all the doubts that haunted him since he was awarded with the post of commandant but Yuri interrupted him softly. "Stop that, Flynn. You're _perfect _for that job. You have a strong sense of justice, you have the guts to make difficult decisions, people believe in you, and on top of that, you're stubborn as hell," Yuri whispered teasingly.

Flynn could not help but laugh. "Thanks, that's making me feel _way_ better," the commandant replied with amusement. He soon became serious again. "Yuri... I mean it. I'm really sorry for making you feel that way," he said softly. His words had Yuri look into his eyes. Flynn stared straight into Yuri's eyes with conviction and a small blush crept on his face. "You're my best friend, Yuri. I care a lot about you. I don't ever want to lose you."

Yuri felt his face burn up again at his friend's words. He turned his face away in embarrassment. "S-stop saying things like that," the long haired man stuttered faintly. Flynn saw the blush on his friend's face. The next words left the commandant's lips before he could stop them; "You're really cute when you're blushing." Flynn realized what he said when Yuri glared at him. It was a glare that promised a slow and painful death if Flynn dared say something like that again. The commandant laughed nervously. "Oh... er... I meant..." he stuttered. He was embarrassed by what he said, and wished he could take back his words. Yuri's gaze softened after a while, meaning he was not really angry at Flynn. However, their eyes never left the other's eyes as blue got lost into gray. And Flynn found himself lost in that beautiful gaze, wondering why he did not see it before, wondering how eyes could be so bewitching. He could not tear his gaze away. Before Flynn realized it, words were leaving his lips again in a whisper; "Yuri, I promise you I'll make things right from now on."

Yuri was touched by those words, but he did not want to show it to Flynn. He diverted his gaze and lowered his head to hide his face into Flynn's chest. His heart was beating like crazy and he felt his skin burn. Yuri was sure it was not only because of his slight fever. He felt Flynn tighten his embrace around him and the sick man closed his eyes, feeling his senses becoming numb. He was too weak to fight off the sleep that pulled him in, but Yuri fought it a little longer to tell one last thing to Flynn.

Flynn's eyes widened when he heard Yuri's whispered words; "I'll hold you to that promise". Flynn looked down, and a soft smile graced his lips when he saw Yuri was asleep. Flynn stared at his friend's sleeping face. He studied the soft features offered to his eyes. He was almost hypnotized by the sight that graced his eyes. As if they had a mind of their own, his fingers left his friend's chin and slowly caressed the soft skin upwards. Flynn was not even aware that his fingers were shaking as they caressed his friend's jaw line up to his cheek and over soft, parted lips. Lips that were so soft and inviting...

Flynn snapped himself out of his trance and removed his fingers, horrified by the thoughts that went through his mind. The commandant had felt a surge of desire for his friend, a desire to kiss those lips, to claim them as his. What was wrong with him? How could he even think to take advantage of his best friend while he was asleep, and furthermore, sick? That is when Flynn realized something; he was not distressed about the fact he felt the desire to kiss his friend. He was distressed because he wanted to do it while Yuri would not be conscious of it.

Flynn realized now that his feelings of friendship for Yuri might run much deeper than that. It ultimately made him realize that he would be devastated if Yuri was to die. Flynn did not want to fathom the idea. Yuri had to survive so they could work on these feelings of his and Yuri's, if the long haired man felt the same thing than him. Flynn hoped so. The commandant leaned in and his lips grazed his friend's warm forehead. His fingertips caressed Yuri's cheek and he smiled softly, bitterly. "Good night, Yuri..." Flynn whispered and he thought he felt Yuri settle closer to his chest.

It might have been his imagination, though.

* * *

><p>Flynn was pacing in Yuri's bedroom, restless. He kept throwing anxious glances in Kazuhei's direction. Yuri seemed better the previous night when they had their long conversation, but now his state seemed to be deteriorating. When Flynn woke up this morning, Yuri had a high fever. His fever had worsened during the night. Yuri had not awakened since then, and Flynn could not even give him painkillers. It was obvious Yuri was in pain as soft whimpers were escaping his lips. Flynn did not waste any time. He immediately called the doctor, who arrived soon after. Kazuhei first gave Yuri painkillers by intravenous. He then started to examine Yuri immediately. Flynn was worried beyond belief as Kazuhei had been working in silence for half an hour or so. What took him so long, damn it!<p>

The doctor finally turned around to look at Flynn and the latter stopped his pacing. The commandant felt his chest tighten at the gravity shown on the doctor's features. His eyes widened when he saw Kazuhei shook his head slowly. Flynn wanted to close his ears to what he would hear, but he found he could not. Then came the words he feared he would hear; "I am sorry, Flynn. We tried the only thing we could, but it failed. I am really sorry."

Flynn's world came crashing down on him. There were no words to describe what he felt the moment those words left the doctor's lips. His heart burned painfully and something crushed his chest mercilessly, making it difficult to breathe. Flynn had never felt such intense pain before. Not even when he had lost his father and mother. The commandant's legs gave out on him and he collapsed onto the nearest chair. He hardly listened as the doctor kept on talking in a low tone, his voice full of fatality. "It is as I have feared would happen; we weakened his body too much and the infection took over. Trying it again won't help. It is already too late."

Repede barked furiously at the doctor. It was clear the dog understood what was happening. Flynn did not even have the heart to stop the dog from crying out his sadness. His gaze fell miserably on Yuri, still asleep in the bed. The pain in his chest worsened until it felt like his heart was torn away from his chest. "How much?" the commandant asked painfully. The doctor looked at Flynn, not understanding his question. "How much time left does he have?" Flynn exclaimed with agony in his voice. Kazuhei kept silent at first, but when he saw the pained blue gaze bore into his, he knew he could not avoid answering. "Three days. Four at most," the doctor whispered.

Flynn's features twisted into agony. Three days? Only three days? It was all the time left he had to spend with his friend? Flynn wanted to scream in desperation and rage. It could not end like this! There must be something they could do to save Yuri! Something the doctor was not telling him! In his desperation, Flynn wanted to grab Kazuhei's collar and shake him until the doctor would tell him it was a lie, that they could still save Yuri. But the commandant's rational side knew it would serve nothing. The doctor's miserable expression told Flynn that he was not lying. That was enough to drain his fury away and for it to be replaced by grief and sorrow.

Kazuhei rose to his feet, his case in hand. He lowered his saddened gaze. "I left you enough painkillers for the time he has left. You can at least reduce his pain until the very end. I'm really sorry," Kazuhei said softly. He bowed in front of the commandant before silently leaving the room. Flynn rose from his chair and walked on numb legs to the chair at Yuri's side. That was all he could do before collapsing on it and taking a frail and burning hand into his shaking one. He brought it shakily to his lips and kissed the soft skin before bringing their joined hands to his forehead. Flynn closed his eyes.

Before he realized it, Flynn's shoulders were shaking as he wept silently, hot tears running down his cheeks. He wept as fond memories played in his mind; memories of happy moments spent with Yuri by his side. Them gazing up at the stars, them taking care of Repede, them sparring and playing, them taking care of each other when they were wounded or sick, them laughing and crying together, them just _being _together... Somehow, these memories only increased the commandant's agony.

He squeezed his friend's hand to stop himself from screaming out in anger and sorrow. Life was so unfair! Yuri did not deserve to die! Flynn would gladly trade his place with him if he could, but reality was not so kind. The commandant learned it the hard way, as he cried over his friend, the only person Flynn could not bear to lose. The knight screwed his eyes shut, but it did not stop the bitter tears from rolling down his face. "I don't want to lose you... I _can't _lose you," the commandant whispered in a broken voice. _Because I can't lose the better part of me..._

* * *

><p>When Yuri opened his eyes, the first thing he saw when he turned his face to the side was Flynn sitting next to him. The commandant had his head lowered as he kept their joined hands against his forehead. Yuri frowned at the sight. He moved his hand slightly, which made Flynn raise his head and look at him. Yuri's heart sank at what he saw. <em>So that's it.<em> He understood everything once he saw the misery written all over Flynn's face, his red eyes and the traces of dried tears on his cheeks. Yuri's lips stretched into a sad and bitter smile. "So, I'm gonna die... It's all over..." Yuri whispered, wanting to cry at the realization. Flynn shook his head and tried to smile as his free hand caressed the black hair splayed on the pillow. "No, what made you –" the commandant began miserably, but he was cut short by Yuri's weak voice. "Don't lie, Flynn. You've never been good at lying," he whispered humorlessly.

Flynn's smile crumbled and all that was left was sorrow and pain. Yuri closed his eyes for he was unable to see such an expression on his friend's face. "How much time do I have left?" he asked pleadingly. He needed to know that much, even if he feared the answer. At first, silence answered him and he thought Flynn would not answer, but then it came and Yuri felt even more miserable. "Three days, maybe four." Yuri let out a broken laugh. "Well, aren't I lucky? It's not even enough time to do the "Five Hundred Things You should do Before you Die". It's a shame." Flynn glared at him. "Damn it, Yuri! That's not funny! You're going to die! How can you joke about that?" Yuri smiled sadly at Flynn. "Because if I don't, I'm going to break down," he answered genuinely.

Flynn felt even more miserable because of his friend's words. He felt himself on the verge of breaking down again. Yuri saw it. "Flynn, don't cry. You're gonna make me cry too and it's embarrassing as hell," Yuri pleaded and it made Flynn smile for a split second, even though that smile was bitter. Flynn's hand went to the corner of Yuri's eye and he wiped a lone tear with his finger. His hand lowered to caress the soft skin of his friend's cheek. "I don't want to lose you. I _can't_. Who is going to bother me if you're not here anymore? Who is going to climb through my window and cause headaches for my soldiers?" Flynn said with a hint of a smile. He tried to ignore the painful tear in his heart at the thought.

Yuri leaned into the commandant's touch, not trying to hide his movement. What was the point now anyway? "You'll find someone eventually who can do that in my place. I'm not irreplaceable, Flynn," Yuri whispered calmly, but the sole though of someone replacing him in the commandant's heart made him die inside. He did not want that to happen, but he could not afford to be selfish at this point. Flynn's blue gaze bore into Yuri's with an intensity that made his heart sway. "For me, you are. No one could ever replace you! I can't picture my life without you! You were always there for me, always pushing my doubts aside, always there to watch my back! I can't go on without you!" the commandant exclaimed with pain.

Yuri untangled his hand weakly from Flynn's and his fingertips ghosted over his friend's cheek. Yuri smiled sadly as he felt tears threaten to fall again. Damn it! Why did Flynn make him feel so weak? "Stop that, Flynn. It's too painful to hear. What I wouldn't give to hear those words before," the dark haired man said the last part in a barely audible whisper. Flynn heard it and felt his heart dying even more. He was so stupid! He cared so much for Yuri, from the very beginning, and he never found it in him to tell him or show him until now! Flynn would regret it for the rest of his days, he knew it.

A soft call of his name had Flynn snap out of his thoughts and look into Yuri's pleading gaze. He could see pain linger in them and wondered if the effects of the painkillers were running out. Flynn was about to ask Yuri when the latter talked again. "Can I ask you a favor?" he asked weakly. Flynn nodded slowly. "Anything you want, Yuri," despite his words, Flynn was not expecting his friend's next words. Not at all. "Kiss me," Yuri asked weakly. Flynn's eyes widened and he did not know if he heard well.

When he saw the slight color that crept on Yuri's cheeks, he knew he had indeed heard right. "I just... I want to know what might have been," the dark haired man added in a whisper. He did not finish his thought as it was too painful, but the commandant understood. _If I were to live on._ Flynn's heart beat faster in his chest and his eyes fell immediately on the soft, barely-parted lips of his friend. The lips he had wanted to kiss so much last night. The commandant felt the temptation come back at his friend's request. His trembling fingers slid to Yuri's lips to caress them again, and he felt them quiver under the touch.

Yuri felt himself unable to move as Flynn's fingers caressed his lips. He missed a breath when that hand slipped from his lips to his neck, the commandant's thumb caressing the skin of his cheek. Shivers ran through Yuri at the gesture and the coldness of Flynn's touch against his heated skin. He thought he would lose it when he saw Flynn lean in until they were mere centimeters apart. Yuri could feel his friend's uneven breath against his lips mixing with his own. Those haunted blue eyes bored into the very depths of his soul. Yuri closed his eyes, not wanting to see the pain he could read in them.

Barely a second passed before he felt Flynn's soft lips melt into his own. The contact was so soft and _perfect _that it blew Yuri's mind away. He sighed softly as Flynn moved his lips against his, causing a sweet sensation to wash over Yuri. He could not describe how it felt. The kiss was gentle, soft, passionate and desperate all at the same time. Yuri did not want the contact to end. His hand went to Flynn's hair and got lost in the soft blond strands as he responded to the kiss, moving his lips in time with Flynn's desperately. Little sparks of pure pleasure ran through his entire body. Flynn's hand tilted his head gently to deepen the kiss and Yuri felt his heart about to explode at the whole sensation. It was so wonderful and heartbreaking at the same time that Yuri felt the need to cry. Before he could stop them, the tears were already rolling down the sides of his face.

When Flynn finally pulled away, Yuri wanted to pull him back in and scream for his friend to never let go, but he did not need to. Flynn claimed his lips again, this time with desperation. Yuri could feel the pain and sadness Flynn felt through their connected lips. His hands went to the sides of Flynn's face and he could feel moisture under his thumbs. When they broke apart, Flynn leaned his forehead against Yuri's and they opened their eyes, each boring deep into the other's soul. Flynn wiped Yuri's tears away, even if there was no point to it. The tears kept on falling as Yuri could not stop them. The long haired man was too overwhelmed by emotions, feelings he kept locked inside for far too long. Feelings he had not allowed himself to feel, for he had never allowed himself to break down. But now, it was alright to indulge in them. To show Flynn the fear, love, uncertainty and desperation he felt. No one could blame him now.

Flynn watched as Yuri came undone under him. He watched as he withered like a flower, as the facade Yuri so skilfully made to protect his heart shattered slowly but surely, and the commandant's heart cried out at the sight of his strong friend breaking down in front of him. Flynn found himself wanting to protect Yuri's heart, wanting to keep it close and mend the wounds of his heart. Flynn cursed himself for it was only now that Yuri was on his death bed that he finally realized the extent of the feelings he held for Yuri.

The commandant gently cupped Yuri's face and his heart leapt when those beautiful gray eyes shining with tears bore into his eyes. That's when Flynn found the strength to pour out his feelings. "Yuri, I love you... I love you so much it hurts," his whispered confession had Yuri gasp and his eyes widened. A second after, Yuri was laughing weakly, but his tears did not stop even then. "You're one mushy idiot. But I guess that's why I love you," Yuri answered, feeling a strange sort of happiness wash over him in the midst of all this desperation. Flynn felt the same way. They clung to the little haven of happiness as it was the only way they would not break down more than they already had.

Flynn leaned in for another kiss, which held both passion and desperation. Yuri responded to the kiss, feeling some of the sadness and sorrow he felt being suppressed by Flynn's gentle care. He was lost in his emotions when a sudden jolt of pain tightened his chest. Yuri gasped and broke the kiss as pain flared in his chest. Flynn looked worriedly at him. "Does it hurt?" he asked gently. Yuri's eyes shut and he nodded. Flynn took the glass of water and one of the painkillers lying on the bedside table. The commandant helped his friend take the medicine. When Yuri settled back on the pillow, he looked at Flynn with pleading eyes. Flynn understood what Yuri wanted to say. The commandant smiled back softly at his love. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I'll still be here when you wake up," he whispered, his hand stroking Yuri's hair. Only when Yuri closed his eyes did Flynn's smile fade. When Yuri fell asleep, the commandant was left with nothing else except a heavy silence and a breaking heart.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day went by too quickly for Flynn's taste. The commandant wished he could stop time because he knew that each passing hour brought them closer to Yuri's death. There was nothing they could do and it was killing the commandant inside. Still, he did not allow himself to break down again. He needed to be strong if he wanted to help Yuri through this ordeal. Yuri was the one who suffered the most through it all. Despite the painkillers, Flynn could see he was still in pain. His state was slowly deteriorating and he slept in longer periods. He began coughing up blood again and Flynn could not help but notice that the blood turned black in a matter of seconds. Whenever Yuri was awake, he was more and more tired. It was like the sickness was draining every ounce of his energy.<p>

Flynn kept watching over Yuri, even through the night. He did not dare sleep, for fear of being asleep if something serious happened. His eyes were directed towards Yuri's face and his ears were open to the sound of harsh breathing, but he was lost in memories of moments spent with his friend. The commandant wished he could turn back time, tell Yuri how he felt, and for both of them to just run away somewhere where they could be alone. Where there would be no duties, no justice, nothing to chain and separate them. Flynn had really ruined everything they could have, and no matter what he did, he could not make up for it. It was too late.

Before he knew it, a bright morning was rising, and with it, Flynn's hope was fading fast. _Two days left_... Flynn could not stop his mind from thinking that. He felt even more miserable. Repede seemed to feel the commandant's misery as he lay at Flynn's feet most of the time, trying to comfort Flynn in its own way. The dog knew one of his masters was dying. Repede was clever enough to understand it.

In the middle of the morning, a knock against the door startled Flynn out of his thoughts. He frowned as he stood up tiredly and went for the door. When he opened it, it was the sight of Judith smiling at him that greeted his eyes. The Krytian seemed only a little surprised by his presence. "Oh, Commandant. I am surprised to see you. Is Yuri here?" she asked. Flynn was hesitant at first, but he finally stepped aside, motioning the Krytian she could come in. "Yes. He's asleep right now, but I'll wake him up," he whispered tiredly. Judith did not move as she noticed the bags under his eyes and the exhaustion on his features. "Are you okay?" she asked with slight concern in her voice. Flynn was surprised by the question, but he quickly recovered. "Oh, um, yeah. I'm fine, thank you for your concern," he answered evasively.

Judith let the matter slide and entered the room. When the Krytian's gaze fell on Yuri's sleeping form, worry appeared in her ruby eyes. She instantly knew that something was clearly wrong. Flynn went to Yuri's side and he sat on the edge of the bed. The commandant gently shook his friend's shoulder as he called his name softly. After some time, Yuri's eyes fluttered open and he turned his head to look confusedly at Flynn. The commandant smiled softly at him. "Yuri, one of your friends is here to see you," he said gently.

Yuri turned his gaze from Flynn to Judith, who was standing near the feet of his bed. Flynn got up and went to the window, turning his back to the duo to gaze at the deceivingly beautiful morning. Judith went to sit in the chair near the bed. The worry she felt grew when she saw how thin Yuri had become. The latter smiled at his friend. "Hey, Judy. What's up?" he asked and his weak voice betrayed his condition. Judith hid the worry she felt. "Nothing really. I just wanted to see how you were doing. Not so well, as I can see," she said on a teasing tone, trying to lighten the mood.

Flynn closed his eyes as he waited for Yuri to tell her the truth. Yuri's answer had him snap his eyes open and turn around to look at his friend. "It's just a cold, don't worry. I'll be back on my feet before you know it," Yuri lied to Judith. When she saw the commandant's movement, Judith turned her face to look at Flynn and the look spattered on his face told her everything. It was a look of pure anger and pain. She understood everything. The Krytian smiled back at Yuri. "I hope so. Ba'ul and I will be waiting to take you places, so take care, okay?" she said softly as she stood up. Yuri nodded, pretending not having seen the deep sadness in his friend's eyes. He could not fool Judith. She could see through his lies. "Goodbye, Yuri," Judith whispered as she turned around.

Judith looked at Flynn and the commandant understood what she silently wanted to tell him. _Take care of him. _Flynn saw a single tear run down the woman's cheek as she went to the door and left the room. As soon as she was gone, the silence in the room became heavy. Flynn looked at Yuri, who had closed his eyes. The commandant soon could not contain his anger and pain anymore. "Why did you lie to her?" he asked loudly. His friend opened his eyes and turned his head weakly to look at him. "I didn't see the point in telling her. Besides, she understood anyway," Yuri answered evasively. Flynn clenched his fists in fury. "Damn it, Yuri! That's not the point! She's your friend! She deserves to know that much! How do you think your friends will react when they'll learn you died and they didn't get to tell you goodbye?" the commandant exclaimed with pain. Yuri shook his head weakly. "I don't want them to pity me! It's already hard enough as it is!" he said.

Flynn understood the hidden meaning behind Yuri's words. His anger flared up at that. "So you think _I _pity you? Maybe you also think I kissed you out of pity? That when I said I loved you it meant nothing? Is that it?" the commandant asked and the silence that answered him spoke for Yuri. Flynn looked at Yuri and when he saw the pain swirling in those gray eyes, his anger faded quickly to be replaced by sorrow and pain. What was he doing, yelling at his friend in his state? Flynn clenched his teeth and went to the bed. He sat on the edge, facing away from Yuri.

The commandant hung his head low. "You don't understand, Yuri. I don't pity you. I'm hurting because I'll lose you and because there's nothing I can do to stop it! I'm losing the one person I love more than anything! And I feel guilt because I didn't realize my feelings earlier! If I did, then we could have more time together! I could have showed you how much I love you!" Flynn poured out his fears and regrets, and he struggled not to break down again. The commandant dropped his forehead against his clasped hands as he tried to control his onslaught of emotions. A moment of silence answered him and Flynn thought Yuri would keep the silent act. That was before he felt two arms weakly embrace his waist from behind and a burning body pressed against his back.

Yuri had used the little bit of strength he had left to sit in his bed and lean against his friend. "I'm sorry, Flynn..." the soft and broken whisper reached the commandant's ears. "I'm sorry for doubting you... I'm sorry for everything..." Flynn did not answer, but the way he relaxed in Yuri's embrace told the sick man that the commandant forgave him. Silence stretched on for a while until Flynn broke it with a whisper. "You have to tell them, Yuri." Flynn heard a faint sigh followed by a weak fit of coughing. "Please, Flynn. I can't do it. Please understand," Yuri said pleadingly. Flynn felt too weak to protest. He would respect Yuri's wishes, even if he did not agree with his friend. The commandant kept his eyes closed as he reveled in the feel of Yuri's warmth melting into him, thinking with agony that it was one of the last times he would feel his love's warmth. In less than two days, he would lose him forever. He would be clinging to the ghost of what was and what might have been.

* * *

><p>Yuri slept again for the rest of the day. Flynn gave him medication more often as the pain seemed to grow with each passing hour. Yuri's coughing fit also increased in intensity and happened often as time passed. Flynn could not help but think the end was coming fast. He was trying to make the most of it when Yuri had short moments of lucidity. Flynn gave up long ago trying to feed Yuri as his friend refused to eat anymore. Flynn gently took care of his friend, whispering stories of happy memories to him as he caressed his hair in an adoring gesture. Seeing the gentle smile that graced Yuri's lips sometimes soothed a little Flynn's aching heart. He tried most of the time to hide his own pain for Yuri's sake.<p>

Before he knew it, another morning dawned, painfully recalling Flynn that it might be Yuri's last morning. Flynn did not want to accept it, but he had no choice considering his friend's state. Despite the medicine, Yuri often moaned in pain and thrashed weakly in his bed. His moments of lucidity were growing fewer and his fever kept getting worse. Despite his resolution to stay strong for Yuri, Flynn found himself weeping a few times while Yuri was asleep. It was beginning to be too much to bear.

If there was a God, Flynn hated him. Yuri did not deserve this! He had lived a selfless life, always sacrificing himself for the good of others! He had put his life on the line to save the world! Why did he have to suffer like this? Why did he have to die? It was so unfair. Hours passed and Yuri did not wake up. Flynn feared he would not wake up until the end. He did not want that. Flynn wanted to say a last goodbye, for Yuri to know he would not die alone. He wanted Yuri to know he was loved until the very end.

The afternoon was drawing to an end when strange sounds coming from outside reached the commandant's ears. He heard a loud, strange sound followed by... screams? What was going on outside? Flynn cursed under his breath. He was torn apart. He had to go check it out, but he did not want to leave Yuri. Not when he could die any moment now. More screams reached his ears and Flynn knew he could not ignore them. He looked at Repede, who had lifted his head and was listening to the sounds. "Repede, I have to go check on things outside. Look after Yuri, okay? If anything happens, go get the innkeeper," Flynn said to the dog.

Repede barked, telling Flynn he understood. The commandant returned his attention on Yuri and the sole thought of leaving him broke his heart, but he had to. Flynn leaned in and stole a quick kiss from his friend's open lips. "I'll be back for you. Please hang on," the commandant whispered desperately. Flynn then grabbed his sword and shield that were lying against the table. He did not bother putting on his armor. He did not have the time. Flynn threw a last glance at his friend before running out of Yuri's room.

* * *

><p>When Flynn arrived at the Lower Quarter's plaza, his eyes widened in horror at what he saw. Many of the houses were on fire. Citizens were screaming in terror at the sight. Many imperial knights were already there, trying to quell the flames before they extended to other houses. Flynn quickly joined his knights. When they saw him, they bowed in front of him. "Commandant! We're glad to see you!" one of them said with relief. Flynn motioned to one of the burning houses. "What happened here?" he asked with worry. "We don't know, Commandant! We heard the sound of an explosion and when we came to investigate, the houses were on fire. We couldn't find any traces of the culprits!" another knight explained with panic. Flynn's mind registered the word "explosion" and it reminded him of something similar that happened a few days ago. Just about then, another loud sound resounded, this time coming from the Public Quarter. Flynn cursed. "You, stay here and try to quell this fire! Get the help of the citizens if you have to!" he exclaimed before running towards the Public Quarter.<p>

When he arrived in the middle of the Public Quarter, the same sight welcomed his eyes. Many of the buildings were on fire and his knights were trying to suppress it. Flynn's heart sank in his chest at the sight. Sodia spotted him and weaved through the crowd to join him. The young woman quickly joined her superior and bowed. "Sodia! Tell me what happened!" Flynn ordered, barely keeping the panic at bay. The female knight nodded, understanding the commandant wanted to know everything that happened since he left matters in her hands. "Since the attack on the castle a few days ago, I dispatched knights all around the city following your orders, but there was no attack from the terrorists until now. We believe they are the cause of these explosions. Fires broke out all around the city, but your men are already in place and will surely manage to put out the fires quickly," Sodia explained with her usual professionalism.

Flynn took her words in and frowned. "And the terrorists? Did you see them?" Sodia shook her head. "No, but we still believe it is their work," she answered. Flynn thought so too, but the fact that none of them were seen was concerning. Flynn's mind suddenly put up the pieces together and he did not like where it was going. "You said fires broke out everywhere; did you dispatch all the knights?" the commandant asked with concern. Sodia frowned at his question. "Almost all of them. There are a few knights on duty at the castle, of course," she said hesitantly. _But not enough_. Flynn felt his heart beat faster in his chest as he understood the terrorists' plan. He cursed loudly this time. "Sodia, when the knights finish putting out the fires, send them all back to the castle!" Flynn exclaimed and without further explanations, he took off in the direction of the castle. Words he heard a few days ago rang into his head. _"I'm going to shred you to pieces and rip your limbs off! Then I'll do the same to the little prince."_ Damn it! Why did he not think of that earlier?

Flynn ran past some of the knights who were evacuating citizens from a burning house. He ignored them and kept running, not even stopping when his lungs burned with exertion. When Flynn reached the reconstructed gate, his heart sank at the sight. The knights that were on duty at the entrance were lying on the ground in pools of their own blood. They were killed savagely. Flynn's guess was right; the fires were only a diversion; a diversion to get all the knights away from the castle so Ioder would be left almost defenseless. It was their plan all along: to force Flynn to dispatch the knights all around the city and he had fallen right into it. As the commandant was standing there, Ioder might already be… The thought was enough to make Flynn sprint towards the gate.

He entered the castle and emerged in the hallway were Yuri and him fought the terrorists a few days ago. His chest tightened at the thought and he pushed it aside. Flynn ran down the hallway, ignoring the corpses of both terrorists and knights lying on the ground. Flynn just turned the corner of the hallway when he spotted an enemy archer at the other end of the hallway. He ducked back around the corner, but it was too late. The arrow his enemy fired sank into the flesh of his arm. Flynn gritted his teeth at the pain as his back collided with the wall behind him. He was too careless, but the commandant had no time! He had to save Ioder! _So I can go back to Yuri. _Flynn kept his teeth clenched and he quickly tore the arrow out of his flesh before throwing it to the ground.

After reassessing his surroundings, Flynn quickly got out of hiding and lifted his shield in front of him as the terrorist fired another arrow. It collided with the shield and Flynn broke into a run. Before his enemy had the time to shoot another arrow at him, the commandant was upon him. He sliced his throat open, not having the time nor care to spare the lives of those terrorists. Flynn did not spare a last glance at his victim. He resumed his run into the maze of hallways, his feet taking him in the direction of the throne room. Ioder was usually there at this time of day. Flynn prayed that he was there. He would not have a second chance to save him.

The commandant passed in front of an open door, and the terrorists that were in the room spotted him. They screamed at him and Flynn cursed. He had no time to take care of them, so he just kept running, hearing their steps behind him. He turned another corner and arrived at the base of the staircase leading to the throne room. The doors were open and two terrorists were guarding the entry. Flynn was too late! They were already here! Maybe they did not have time to hurt Ioder yet! With a surge of panic, Flynn climbed the stairs quickly. The two terrorists saw him and charged at him. Flynn blocked the first attack with his shield and dodged the attack of the second terrorist. He stabbed the first one through the chest and swiped his foot under his second enemy's feet, making the enemy trip and tumble down the stairs. Without wasting another second, Flynn climbed the rest of the stairs and emerged into the throne room.

He froze at the sight that awaited him. Six terrorists were standing in circle around the throne. One of the terrorists was standing in front of the throne, his sword stained with fresh blood. He was preventing Flynn from seeing what was on the throne. Or rather, _who_. Flynn took a few shocked steps forward. Upon hearing the clattering sound of his sword and shield, the terrorists turned towards him and revealed the hidden sight of the throne. Flynn's heart missed a beat.

There, collapsed onto the throne like a broken doll, was Ioder. His chest was covered in blood from where he had been stabbed. The young man's eyes were closed and blood stained the corner of his mouth. Flynn was paralyzed by the sight. He almost did not hear what the terrorist holding the blood-stained sword said. "It's nice of you to visit us, Commandant. But it's too late to save the little prince. You should have heard the scream of pain as I stabbed him! It was –" The terrorist did not have the time to finish his sentence. Flynn saw red. He charged at the terrorist and he viciously stabbed him. The wounded man's eyes widened in surprise and he made a gurgling sound as blood filled his mouth.

The other terrorists sprang into action. They roared in fury and lunged at the commandant. Flynn's rage gave him more strength and agility. He turned around, his sword still stabbed into the terrorist's chest. Lifting one foot, Flynn kicked the dead man into one of his comrades. The commandant raised his shield to block the attacks as he used his sword to counter. The terrorists that had been pursuing him earlier entered the room and Flynn was now up against seven opponents. But it did not hinder him. He was desperate and angry, and those emotions fueled him. He wanted to make them pay for Ioder's death. The commandant fought with a strength born from desperation.

He felled one terrorist after another. Flynn reveled in the fear in his enemies' eyes. Some of his enemies managed to give him injuries, but they were shallow and did not stop him from retaliating. Soon, there were only three assailants left. Flynn kept on fighting, even as his energy ran low. He blocked the sword striking down on him and quickly countered, slashing deeply across his assailant's stomach. As the terrorist fell to the ground, Flynn's eyes spotted one of the two terrorists left, but he failed to see the other. Where was he?

A sudden pain flared in his abdomen and Flynn cried out as he stumbled forward. His hand went to his bleeding wound as he turned around to see the other terrorist who had just stabbed him. Flynn gritted his teeth with pain and forced himself to retaliate. He cut the man's throat open, and made a move to turn around and face his last enemy, but his wound slowed him down. The terrorist's sword slashed across his back and Flynn gasped in pain. He took a few staggering steps forward and almost fell to his knees. Flynn managed to stand his ground and turned around in time to block another furious attack.

With the last ounce of energy he had left, Flynn stabbed the men and watched as he fell on the ground to join his dead comrades. Flynn staggered backwards until his back hit the closest wall. He clenched his teeth and covered his wound with his free hand. By the amount of blood Flynn was losing, he knew the terrorist had hit one of his vitals. This was not good. The commandant's eyes traveled from the bodies on the ground up to Ioder. His chest tightened painfully at the sight. He had arrived too late! Flynn failed in protecting his master! He failed in the most important of his missions! He closed his eyes in unrest.

Suddenly, Flynn heard voices coming his way. He opened his eyes again. Was it more terrorists? Flynn was in no shape to fight them now! As he stared at the entrance, he found he was wrong. A few of his soldiers burst into the room, and with them, the princess herself. When Estellise saw Flynn leaning against a wall and covered in wounds, her eyes widened in worry. "Flynn!" she exclaimed and made a move to run to his side. Flynn shook his head. "No, I'm fine! But Ioder..." he trailed on, his gaze falling on the young boy. Estelle followed his gaze and gasped in horror. She did not waste time in running at Ioder's side. Flynn waited for the announcement of his death and he could not help but to blame himself.

"He's... he's still breathing!" Estelle announced with a shaking voice. She activated her first aid spell and began to work at him in earnest. Flynn sighed in relief. At least, he was alive. Flynn stopped the terrorists' plan, but there were many casualties. He failed to save all those knights. Nothing he did now would redeem his mistake. Flynn winced as pain spread through his entire being and he opened his eyes to look at the ceiling. _Yuri... _Flynn's thoughts flew over to his friend. He closed his eyes and a pained smiled graced his lips.

Estellise sighed in relief when she finally stabilized Ioder. His life was not in danger anymore. She stood to her feet and looked over to where Flynn was. Worry settled in her when her eyes did not find him. There were no traces of him left but blood on the wall where he was leaning against earlier. "Flynn?" she exclaimed with worry as her eyes scanned the room, but he was nowhere to be found. "Flynn!" the princess screamed again, panicked, but no matter how much she screamed the commandant's name, he did not answer. He was gone.

* * *

><p>Flynn was barely aware of his journey back to the Lower Quarter. His vision was slowly getting blurry and he had trouble breathing. He had lost a lot of blood, and many times during his long walk the commandant had to lean against houses to regain some of his strength. He remembered hearing worried cries of his name by some of his men, but he ignored it all. His thoughts were on one thing only: Yuri. The thought of his friend was what gave him the strength to go on. Flynn managed to climb the stairs to Yuri's room.<p>

When he opened the door, he saw Repede sitting next to the bed. When the dog saw him, he whined and backed away from the bed. Flynn took a few staggering steps towards the bed. When he focused his gaze on Yuri, Flynn felt the blood in his veins run cold. The dark haired man's skin was a deathly white and his lips were a faint tint of blue. "No, no it can't be..." Flynn whispered and reached the bed. He collapsed on the ground near the bed and reached a blood-stained hand to his friend's cheek. His skin was cold, but it still held some warmth. Flynn bent down and almost screamed at the strain it caused on his wound. The commandant leaned his ear against his friend's chest. At first, he heard nothing, but after a few seconds, he finally heard the sound of a faint heartbeat. Yuri was still alive. Flynn sighed in relief. He would never forgive himself if Yuri had died alone.

Flynn managed to stand up again, and ignoring the pain it caused him, he leaned over Yuri and gathered the man into his arms. He lifted him from the bed and kept him cradled against his chest. The commandant's heart sank in his chest when he noticed how light Yuri became in a few days. Flynn placed his lips near his friend's ear as he smiled bitterly. "Let's go, Yuri. Let's go to a place where we can be alone..." he whispered as he took staggering steps towards the door. Repede rose to his feet and followed his masters in silence. Flynn finished his sentence mentally, not having the heart to say it out loud even if it was the truth.

"_Where we can die alone..."_

* * *

><p>Flynn was glad that place was not too far from the Inn where Yuri was resting. He did not know if he would have found the strength to reach it otherwise. Flynn found his way back to the abandoned house that was his and Yuri's hideout in the past. It was still there, standing taller than the rest of the houses around. Flynn went inside and climbed the stairs up to the roof. The house had a flat roof, so it made it easy for them to settle nicely to stargaze. Tonight would be a perfect night to do just so. Night had just settled in and there were almost no clouds to cover the sky.<p>

When the commandant finally made his way to the roof, he leaned on the wall beside the door and slid down the wall into a sitting position, Yuri still cradled against his chest. Repede did not follow them up there as he chose to stay outside of the house, guarding the entrance to make sure Flynn and Yuri would be alone. Flynn was glad for that. He gently shook Yuri, trying to wake his friend up. After some time, he felt Yuri stir against him. Flynn tightened his embrace around his love. "Yuri..." he whispered raggedly.

Flynn finally saw his friend weakly lift his face towards him and a pained gray gaze bore into his eyes. "Flynn..." The commandant heard the soft call of his name. He smiled sadly at Yuri. "Hey..." he whispered and winced when a pang of pain tore at his wound. Yuri saw it and frowned. Flynn then felt something cold touch his wound and realized it was Yuri's hand. Worry appeared in Yuri's haunted gaze. "Flynn... you're wounded... Estelle..." he whispered partially as he did not have the strength to talk anymore.

Flynn took Yuri's hand in his and brought it shakily to his lips. "I know, but I don't want her to heal my wounds. That way, I can die along with you," he said with pain in his voice. Yuri closed his eyes and Flynn swore he saw a single crystal tear escape his eye. Flynn closed his eyes too as he brought Yuri's hand to his cheek. "I can't live without you, Yuri. I just can't. It's too painful to even think about living if you are not there," Flynn whispered with sadness.

Yuri opened his lips to talk, but a fit of coughing took him and his body was wracked by spasms. Flynn held him close. For the first time in days, as they sat there under the stars and the moon, Flynn finally felt something other than pain, desperation and sorrow. He felt peace and contentment. In a few minutes, it would all be over. There would be nothing else but silence. No wars, no death, no tragedies... only silence. The commandant was glad for that. He was so tired of it all.

When Yuri stopped coughing, he struggled to speak. "...cheesy idiot," he whispered with a sad smile stretching across his blood-stained lips. Flynn laughed weakly and caressed Yuri's cheek. He leaned in to claim those sweet lips for one last time. He burned their softness and texture into his memory, never to be forgotten. When they broke apart, Flynn kept their faces close as he gazed into Yuri's eyes. "I love you. Don't ever forget that, Yuri. Even if we get to be reincarnated into another life, I'll chase you down again and again. You'll always be mine," Flynn said as love shone in his eyes. Yuri opened his mouth to talk, but his voice gave out on him this time. Even so, Flynn could read his answer in his eyes as Yuri smiled softly at him. _I'll be waiting for it. _

Yuri's face suddenly contorted in pain and he struggled to take in air. Flynn's embrace tightened and he clenched his teeth as he felt Yuri writhe weakly in pain against his chest. Flynn refrained himself from screaming in desperation as he kept his hold strong and steady around his love's waist. It went on no more than a minute, but it felt like an eternity for Flynn. When Yuri finally stopped writhing, his body relaxed and his head lolled against the commandant's chest. Flynn felt his heart stop in his chest. "Yuri?" he called softly. When he heard no response, he shook him gently, but it was no use.

Flynn closed his eyes and leaned his face against his love's forehead. "No... No! Yuri, don't go! Stay with me!" he exclaimed painfully and tears escaped his eyes as he realized Yuri was gone. He cried as he cradled the lifeless body of his best friend, of the love of his life. The pain in Flynn's body increased and his sight blurred even more as his senses slowly turned numb. The commandant was relieved to know the end was coming. That way, he would be free of the pain of losing Yuri. Keeping Yuri's head cradled against his wounded heart, Flynn leaned his head against the cold wall behind him. He let his blurred gaze travel on the stars and the moon, shining with a never ending beauty in the dark sky above. Tears kept rolling down Flynn's cheeks as a sad smile stretched his lips that were slowly turning blue. "Can you see, Yuri? The moon is particularly beautiful tonight," he whispered to himself, knowing Yuri could not hear him anymore. He already departed from this world.

And as life left the commandant, the wind carried his last whispered words away, accompanied by the melancholic howling of a dog under the full moon.

"_Let us meet again and fall in love all over again..."_

_**The End**_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **The end... wow.

First, I want to apologize for those who like happy endings. At first, that is what I wanted to do. But somehow, it did not happen that way. This ending imposed on my mind and it did not want to go away. It is the first time that the story guides my hand and not the other way around. It was both frightening and exhilarating at the same time. I know it sounds weird, but I like to think the characters talked to me and guided me to this ending. Yuri and Flynn did not want to be separated, even as the only option for that not happening was through death. In a way, I think of it as a happy ending. None of them gets to live without the other.

For those who are wondering, I'm not seeing Flynn like the suicidal type. In normal circumstances, he would have let Yuri die and would have continue on living. But he figured that since he had an opportunity to die along with Yuri, he would take it.

Like I said before in the last chapter, that story took me really far from my comfort zone, but I'm glad it did. It made me grow as an author in a way I could never imagine. If I manage to draw some emotions from you, my readers, no matter how little, I'll be the happiest person in the world. ^^ It will mean everything to me. It will mean I can still grow and get better as an author. That in itself is the best gift that I could ever have. :)

I want to thank everyone that took and that will take the time to review, or even put this story on their favorite list. Thank you very much.

I also want to say a special thank you to PeachteaKT for she not only betaed this work, but she also made this request from me. This story gained a special place in my heart and I hope it was good enough so you, my readers, will remember it.

Thank you very much for your support everyone! Until next time!

Littlerosebud**  
><strong>


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